


Tiny Dots on an Endless Timeline

by Cowboy_Sneep_Dip



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Friends, Coming Out, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I gotta double down on that angst tag, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mild Sexual Content, there's a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2018-11-01 21:19:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10930251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cowboy_Sneep_Dip/pseuds/Cowboy_Sneep_Dip
Summary: A series of vignettes detailing Corrin's childhood in the Northern Fortress and her burgeoning relationship with Felicia. Based on a mixture of in-game canon, heavily implied events, and pure headcanon.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Whoops, I was originally going to just write a couple little mini-stories here but I kept going and accidentally wrote almost 20,000 words? Turns out I super love Felicia and Flora. So that's fun!

Felicia was on her knees, frantically scrubbing the floor. She sat up and wrung out her cloth, dipping it again into a bucket of water. Cleaning the floors was arduous work, more so when the other servants were already occupied with other tasks, and on a hot night like this she felt sweat soaking into her uniform. She wiped her brow before leaning over and getting to work again.

The Northern Fortress was a rather desolate and lonely place, she thought, as she scrubbed the floor. She had been brought here just recently with her sister, and they’d been worked to the bone every night since. And that butler…what was his name? Jakob? He was needlessly rude, and constantly bossing Flora and Felicia around. And Gunter, the man who was -

“Are you finished already, or did you just decide that it’s time for a nap?” came a gruff, low voice from behind her. Felicia sat back, frowning.

“N-no, sir,” she protested. “I was just…I got lost in thought, and-“

“You aren’t here to think,” the voice snapped. “You’re here to work. The princess will be upset if this room isn’t spotless.”

“Of course, sir,” she nodded, resuming her scrubbing with renewed vigor. And this princess? She made sure to not let her thoughts interrupt her work this time. She had seen neither hide nor hair of this princess…why was she in this lonely fortress, not at the capital with the other princes and princesses?

Regardless, from the way Gunter and Jakob talked, this princess sure sounded like a spoiled brat. Probably one of those rich jerks who’s never had to work a day in her life, constantly demanding others to do everything for her. She’s probably just awful.

She leaned forward angrily, accidentally smacking into a decorative vase, knocking it down. It shattered, shards of pottery scattering across the floor that Felicia had just finished cleaning. She felt a spike of fear in her heart.

“Felicia!” the voice again shouted. “What was that!”

“I…uh…I can explain!” Felicia stammered, turning to face the stern visage of her employer. The man had a rough, scarred face and grey hair. Gunter was his name, and he oversaw the servants.

“There’s nothing to explain!” he scolded her. “I saw you knock it down! I swear, if you weren’t the daughter of the ice tribe’s chief, I wouldn’t keep you here another second.”

Felicia felt tears stinging her eyes and a blush creeping into her cheeks. “I’m s-sorry,” she said, trying not to start crying.

“I’ll get someone else to clean this mess up. Why don’t you – oh, I don’t know. Go gather the laundry from outside? Can you handle that?”

Felicia stood up solemnly, nodding. She wiped her eye with the back of her hand. “Right away, sir,” she said quietly. Even at her full height, she stood only about equal with Gunter’s stomach. She wasn’t a particularly short girl, but the man’s age and size made him all the more intimidating.

The laundry was hanging in the courtyard, swaying in the warm evening breeze. The sky was dark – it was always dark in Nohr, but on an evening like this she could at least see the stars. She frowned at the laundry, realizing she was too short to reach the clotheslines.

She looked around the courtyard, finding several wooden buckets she could stack to stand on. She balanced precariously on the stack, reaching up to the clothespins. Almost…there…and…

“Woah!” she cried out as the stack of buckets collapsed underneath her. She scrabbled at the clothing on her way down, grabbing a dress with one hand and a sheet in the other. Her stomach sank as she heard the sound of ripping fabric.

Felicia landed on her back with a _thud_ , one hand clutching half of a torn velvet dress. The other hand pulled a bedsheet free from its clothespins. The wind caught the sheet and sent it sailing across the courtyard. She felt despair creeping into her heart and tears welling again.

She clutched at her head and tried to stop herself from crying, but it was pointless. She felt so small, and so very far from home, and she couldn’t do anything right, and –

“Are you okay?” a small voice came from above her.

Felicia opened her tear-stained eyes. A young girl, perhaps her age, stood over her. She had piercing red eyes and a goofy smile, and…fangs _?_ Felicia sniffled.

“Y-yeah, I’m okay,” she said, sitting up with a sigh. The girl reached her hand out and helped Felicia to her feet.

“I saw you stacking those buckets up and I was going to warn you, but it was too late by the time I got here,” the girl explained, brushing dirt from Felicia’s maid uniform. “I tried doing that because I wanted to be tall, like Xander, but then he yelled at me and said it was dangerous.”

“Do you mean…Lord Xander?” Perhaps this was another servant?

The girl nodded, her short white hair bobbing. “Uh-huh! Do you want some help with the laundry?”

Felicia nodded. “That’d be nice.”

With the two of them working together, it didn’t take long to get all the laundry down and into a bin. Surprisingly, no other accidents occurred, much to Felicia’s delight.

The two sat together on a low stone wall, looking out over the castle. Felicia eyed the girl’s bare feet as she swung her legs back and forth.

“Oh, and I have this!” the girl pulled a small piece of foil-wrapped candy out of her pocket. She handed it to Felicia.

“Oh, I couldn’t-“ Felicia said quickly, remembering her manners.

“It’s a gift!” the girl smiled her toothy smile. “I have one for me too, don’t worry.”

Felicia took the candy and unwrapped it. It was chocolate. Felicia was taken aback. Candy as a whole wasn’t exactly common in Nohr, especially since they began rationing for war, and something this expensive…just who was this girl?

Felicia sunk her teeth into the rich chocolate, savoring the dark, sweet flavor.

“It’s good, isn’t it! Jakob got some for me the last time he went to market. Oh, goodness, I haven’t even asked you your name!” the girl said, excitedly. She was quite the chatterbox, that was for sure.

“I’m F-Felicia,” Felicia said nervously. “Um…who-“ she was interrupted by a stern voice from behind them.

“Lady Corrin, there you are!” Gunter came up behind the two of them. “I’ve been looking for you for an hour! Where have you been?”

“I’ve been hanging out with Felicia!” Corrin said cheerfully, smiling at her new friend. “She’s so much fun!”

“You’ve been with Felicia? Thank goodness you weren’t injured, or worse!” Gunter said scooping the little princess up. “Come, your brother needs to see you.”

“And you,” he said, turning to Felicia, “need to get to the kitchen and start on the dishes. Assuming you’ve finished the laundry?”

“Of course, sir. Right away.” Felicia bowed deeply.

Corrin smiled and waved as Gunter led her away. “See you later, Felicia!”

 

 

-

 

 

Felicia wrapped her arms tightly around her legs and sobbed softly into her uniform’s skirt. It was late at night, fortunately, so no one would be roaming the halls. It had been a particularly bad day – everything just seemed to be going wrong. Burnt breakfast, broken plates, stained laundry, spills and messes, everything just kept getting worse and worse. And then Jakob yelled at her, and Gunter made a comment about getting her reassigned to something a little easier…she didn’t even bother stifling her crying now and openly wept.

She gasped for breath, trying to calm herself, but derision and criticism echoed in her head. What was she even doing here? She was the worst maid on the planet, and all she did was make messes and make other people mad.

She was unsure how much time had passed while she cried in the hallway. She felt a touch on her shoulder and, startled, gasped.

“W-what?” she cried out, looking up. Her eyes felt stiff and puffy.

Corrin, barefoot and dressed in a nightgown, stood over her.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly.

Felicia shook her head. “No, I’m not. I’m the worst maid ever.” She froze, realizing what she said. “I-I’m so sorry, milady. Is there anything I can help you with?” she sniffed, trying to regain composure.

“Is it okay if I sit?” Corrin asked. She didn’t wait for a response and instead slumped next to Felicia.

“What are you doing up so late, milady?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Corrin said quietly. “I get really bad nightmares sometimes.”

“I’m sorry. Would you like me to make some warm milk? That helps you sleep sometimes.”

Corrin shook her head and leaned against Felicia’s shoulder. “Can I just sit here with you for a little bit?”

“Of course, milady.”

Corrin wrapped her arms around Felicia and gently nuzzled her shoulder. “You’re warm,” she said plainly.

“I…I try, milady,” Felicia responded, unsure what she meant. The two sat in silence for awhile, and Felicia listened to Corrin’s soft breathing.

“I have this horrible dream,” Corrin began, unprompted, “that I’m in a town full of dead people. There’s a lot of blood everywhere, and a man with arrows sticking out of him…then a horrible monster comes and snatches me up…then I always wake up.”

Felicia nodded.

“What do you think it means?”

“I don’t know a lot about that sort of thing, milady,” she apologized.

“It’s awful. I hate fighting. I even hate when Xander makes me practice with a wooden sword.”

They sat in silence again, arms entwined, drifting off into the dark stillness of the night.

 

 

-

 

 

Corrin stared into the flickering lamp flame.

“Are you sure it’ll be okay?” Felicia asked, nervously.

“Yeah!” Corrin nodded. They were sitting in bed together, and had strung up the blankets to give them a tent to sit in. Corrin had come up with the idea of bringing a covered lantern into the blanket fort, and Felicia couldn’t shake the feeling that the flame was going to cause some serious trouble…even if it was encased in glass.

From inside the mess of suspended blankets, they could still hear the patter of nighttime rain outside.

“Look at this!” Corrin said excitedly, pulling out a folded paper board decorated with letters.

“W-what is that?” Felicia eyed it suspiciously.

“It’s a spirit board! Elise said you can use it to talk to ghosts!”

“G-ghosts!” Felicia shuddered. “Why would you want to do that?”

“It’s fun! Spirits know all sorts of things. They can even predict the future!” Corrin smiled, fanged teeth poking out slightly.

“O-okay, milady. If that’s what you want.” Felicia smiled. “Um…how does it work?”

“So it has all these letters written out on it, and you use a talisman…” Corrin dug through her pockets and withdrew a small glass disc set into a metal frame.  “You put your hands on this.” She put it down in the center of the board. “You ask the spirit questions, then it moves the talisman to spell out answers!”

“That doesn’t seem real,” Felicia frowned. “B-but if that’s what you want to do, we can do it!”

“Come on!” Corrin said, grabbing Felicia’s hand. Felicia could feel herself blushing slightly. Corrin’s hands felt rough and calloused, but still warm and oddly comforting.

“W-what should we ask it?” she asked Corrin.

The princess cocked her head to the side.

“Are there any spirits here who want to talk to us?”

The two girls held their hands on the talisman together. It didn’t move.

Corrin tried again. “Can any spirits here answer my question?”

“Hey, stop moving it!” Felicia protested. Corrin looked just as surprised to see the charm shifting across the board. The candlelight flickered.

“Y-E-S.”

Felicia pulled her hands away and sat back from the board. “W-whoah! What was that?”

“See, I told you!” Corrin said triumphantly. She grabbed Felicia’s hands again and forced them back onto the board. “Your turn! Ask a question! Anything you want!”

Felicia pursed her lips. “Was a ghost responsible for that chair breaking the other day?” She turned to Corrin to explain. “I swore it wasn’t me, but Jakob yelled at me anyway.”

The piece began to shift under their hands. Corrin read the letters out. “N-O.”

Felicia pouted. “It still wasn’t me.”

“Okay, okay, my turn!” Corrin said excitedly. “Am I ever going to get to leave this fortress?”

“S-O-M-E-D-A-Y,” Felicia read. “I guess that’s a good answer, right?”

“Will it be soon?” Corrin asked again.

“U-N-S-U-R-E.”

Corrin pouted. “Dumb ghosts. What do they know? You should try again.”

Felicia pondered it. “Will I ever be a better maid?”

“O-T-H-E-R-C-A-L-L-I-N-G?” Corrin slowly read out. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Maybe it means I wasn’t meant to be a maid. I kind of already knew that.”

“Let’s try a fun one instead!” Corrin suggested, trying to diffuse the worsening mood. “How about this – will I ever find true love?”

Felicia blushed. “That’s silly. How would a ghost know that?”

“Y-E-S!” Corrin said triumphantly. “See!”

“You were moving it! I could feel your hand moving!” Felicia giggled.

“Nuh-uh,” Corrin shook her head. “It was the ghost.”

“How about a bigger question?” Felicia suggested. “We’ve mostly asked it yes or no questions.”

“Okay!” Corrin nodded. “Um…w-what’s in my future?”

The candlelight flickered and dimmed. The blankets shifted in the…wind? There couldn’t be wind here, right? Corrin a chill crept into the room. Outside, the rain hammered against the windows.

Corrin moved her hand away from the board. “I-I change my mind!” she said, shivering. “I don’t want to play this game anymore...”

Felicia also backed away from the board. She stared in terror, open-mouthed. She slowly raised her hand and pointed at it.

Corrin looked to see what she was pointing at. The talisman was shifting on its own, slowly creeping across the board.

“D-d-d,” Corrin shuddered, reading the letters. “E…A…T-t-t-“

Suddenly the blanket whipped off the two of them, causing them both to emit an ear-piercing shriek. The lantern was sent flying and crashed across the floor. The blanket fluttered through the room. Corrin and Felicia clutched each other, and the young princess began hyperventilating.

Above them stood an imposing, angry figure with a dark face.

“And what are we doing here, young lady?” Gunter asked sternly.

“Eeeeeek!” Corrin screamed. “Felicia, it’s the ghost! Run!” The two children bolted from the bed and ducked past Gunter’s arms, Corrin kicking wildly at him as she ran by. Gunter grunted from the impact of her lets and stumbled. Felicia grabbed Corrin’s hand and the two rushed out the door.

Gunter sighed, standing alone in the empty room. In one hand he held the blanket, and he eyed the now-shattered lantern on the floor.

 

 

-

 

 

Felicia wiped the blood off Corrin’s arm. “Milady, you need to be more careful in the future. You know how hard your brother pushes you during training.”

“You’re one to talk,” Corrin grumbled. “Ah!” she winced as the maid pressed a cold cloth to her wound. “I would have had him, except I-“

“Except you’re still very young, little princess.” Xander stood over her, supervising Felicia’s wound management. “You’ve grown much stronger these past few years. Perhaps you could even best swordsmen your age. But in a real fight, you’d still not stand a chance.”

Corrin nodded glumly. “I know, I know. I’m just saying, if I hadn’t lunged then-“

“If you hadn’t lunged, I would have been able to easily disarm you. And if _I_ wasn’t so quick on redirecting my blow, I could have taken your head off. The position you put yourself in set you up for failure,” he said sternly. “There was no winning for you, and you chose to be reckless instead – endangering yourself and risking my accidentally hurting you. You’re lucky the wound is as minor as it is.”

Corrin winced again as Felicia poured a clear, frothing liquid on her wound. “Ah! Gods, what is that?”

“It prevents infection,” Felicia said. “Hold still, or it’ll get everywhere.”

Xander chuckled. “You’ve also made quite the improvements of late, Felicia,” he said. “I remember when you first came here and you couldn’t even wash dishes. Even if you aren’t exactly…elegant, you at least know some medicine now.”

“Thank you, Lord Xander,” Felicia said, bowing slightly. “I try my best for Lady Corrin.”

Xander patted his sister on the shoulder. “You did well today, though. Keep up the good work. Now, I think Gunter needed to speak to me about something. I’ll take my leave.”

Corrin poked at her wound. Felicia swiped her hand away.

“Don’t mess with it, or it’ll bleed more.” She pulled out a roll of gauze and began to wrap it around Corrin’s arm. “That should be good for now.”

“Thanks, Feli.”

“Of course, milady. Anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.”

 

 

-

 

 

Corrin grasped Felicia’s hand tightly as the two dashed through the dark halls of the castle. Though it was morning, the sky’s perpetual darkness shed little light through the many windows set into the castle’s walls.

“M-milady!” Felicia protested, struggling to keep up, her heels failing to bring her the same speed as the princess’ bare feet. “Please slow down!”

Corrin only ran faster, tugging Felicia along, turning corner after corner.

“Where are we going?” Felicia’s voice was tinged with worry.

“Shhh!” Corrin hissed, pulling Felicia around a corner and into an alcove. “We need to move quickly! I have the guards’ patrol routes memorized, so we can lose even a minute!”

“Milady,” Felicia wheezed, trying to catch her breath. “Can you please explain to me what we’re doing?”

“We’re leaving!” Corrin whispered, her eyes bright with excitement. “We’re going to get out of this stuffy castle, just for a day!”

“I don’t think that’s a good id-“

“Of course not!” Corrin interrupted her. “That’s why I’m not asking you!” she looked into the halls to check that the coast was clear before sprinting off again, an exasperated Felicia hot on her tail.

“Milady!” Felicia whispered, though it came out far louder than intended. “At least tell me where we’re going!”

Corrin again pulled her into a small recess in the wall, pulling the maid flush against her to cram both their bodies into the small space. Pressed together, Felicia felt the warmth of her body and the rhythmic rising and falling of her chest.

“We’re going to the west hall,” Corrin whispered. “In a few minutes the guard will change, which will give us a chance to sneak out. There’s a window low enough to the ground that we can jump, then we’ll be out!”

“B-but Lady Corrin,” Felicia stuttered frantically. “Think about your family! What would Lord Xander say?”

“It’s just for the day! We’ll be back before supper!”

Felicia made worried noises and she was pulled once again through the halls by a whirlwind of excitement.

As promised, the west hall was empty – usually, two guards were station here. But now it was empty, and a warm wind blew through the open windows. Corrin dragged Felicia over to one and peered out at the ground below. In the murky half-light of the Nohrian morning, landscape around the castle was bathed in a dim grey. Corrin leaned out the window. The drop to the bushes below was indeed short – perhaps ten feet down. Felicia looked at the bushes, nervously checking for thorns. Knowing her luck, they were probably full of snakes, too.

She leaned out to take a closer look, precariously dangling out the window for only a second before toppling headfirst out the window.

“Felicia, watch out!” Corrin cried out, reaching down and attempting to catch her. She grabbed at Felicia’s leg as she tumbled out, not managing to get a solid grasp but at least managing to make Felicia start spinning. She fell sideways into the bushes, letting out a grunt as the leaves caught her. She rolled out of the bush and came to a halt in a cloud of dirt.

“Oh, gods!” Corrin leaned out, trying to get a better look. “Felicia, are you alright?”

“Oww…” Felicia pulled a small twig out of her hair. “Yes, Lady Corrin! I’m okay! But I’d advise landing feet first!”

“I don’t have shoes on!” Corrin hissed.

Felicia frowned. “You didn’t think this through, did you?”

“If I jump feet-first, it’ll hurt! Catch me!”

“What?”

“Catch me!”

“No, Lady Corrin, don’t-“ her protests fell on deaf ears as Corrin climbed out the window, sitting on the sill briefly before leaping out into the air.

“Wooah!” Felicia held her arms out and tried to position herself underneath Corrin’s flailing frame. “Oof!” with a thud, she managed to catch Corrin bridal-style and keep her steady before collapsing to the ground, the two girls tangled together in a heap.

“See?” Corrin pushed herself to her feet, dusting off leaves and dirt before helping Felicia up. “Told you it’d work!”

Felicia laughed and nodded. “Okay, you were right,” she said, dusting off her skirts. “What now?”

Corrin began walking alongside the walls of the castle. It was built on an outcropping of rock, surrounded on all sides by a deep chasm that dropped down into a void of darkness. Even looking into it made Felicia nervous.

“If we walk along this ledge, we can circle around to the back of the castle! There’s a trail there that lets you get across the chasm. From there, we can go up the slopes of the valley!”

The two picked their way along the ledge, carefully stepping around scraggly brush and occasional rocky ledge. Felicia almost fell only once, her heel slipping on a loose chunk of dirt. She almost slid into the chasm before Corrin leapt forward with almost superhuman deftness and grabbed her.

“C…Can we stop for a breather?” Felicia gasped, trying to calm her nerves. She stared down into the inky black darkness below.

“We’re almost there!” Corrin said, gently tugging her along. “Look!”

True to her word, the back of the castle was indeed home to a narrow shelf of rock that crossed the canyon, broadening out into the slopes of the valley.

They hiked up the hill, picking their way among the scraggly trees and rocky outcroppings that composed the Northern Fortress’ less-than-picturesque surroundings. Felicia held tightly onto Corrin’s hand, out of a mixture of fear for the princess’ safety and fear for her own.

They crested the hill and met the end of their journey – from the top of the hill, the mountain sloped upwards, a sheer cliff of rock that wouldn’t have been climbable even if they had proper training and equipment.

They circled around the hill to face the fortress. From here, the hill was more of a bluff, a steep rocky drop down to a thorny bramble of bushes far below. They stood beneath an old, withered tree, hand in hand, staring down at the valley where they had spent most of their childhood together. Corrin took a nervous step forward the precipice, her bare toes poking out into the open air. A warm breeze blew, rattling the dead branches behind them.

Felicia stepped closer to Corrin, watching her stare down into the void below. Her eyes were fixed on the cliff’s edge. For a moment, she seemed somber. Felicia stared at the princess, watching her long curls of white hair gently waving in the breeze. A gust of wind blew dust out into the open air and Corrin tottered forward over the cliff, nearly falling.

Felicia took a step forward and wrapped an arm around Corrin, trying to pull her back away from the edge. “Perhaps we should stay away from the cliff, milady,” she said nervously.

Corrin nodded and turned back to smile at Felicia. “Thanks for coming with me,” she said brightly.

“Of course, milady. Is there anything you’d like to do while we’re here?”

“Just being outside the fortress with you is enough,” Corrin said, hugging Felicia. The maid returned the hug before the two parted, looking out again towards the fortress.

They stood together in silence, holding hands. Corrin spoke, breaking the silence and almost startling Felicia.

“Um…” she said quietly. “Can…can I kiss you?” she asked softly, not looking at Felicia.

The maid immediately blushed, heat pouring across her cheeks. She squeezed Corrin’s hand instinctively. Corrin looked up, looking her in the eyes. “Y-you don’t have to if you don’t w-want…”

“No!” Felicia stuttered. “You just surprised me, is all!”

“No, we don’t have to,” Corrin said, red-faced. She felt as if her face was going to melt off her skull. Internally, she screamed at herself for even saying anything.

Felicia leaned her face closer, trying to align their lips. “N-no,” she whispered softly. “It’s okay.”

Corrin looked at her nervously before taking a step closer. She tilted her head to the side and parted her lips slightly. She closed her eyes and leaned forward.

With a _thwack_ , her forehead collided with Felicia’s, who had also closed her eyes. “Ouch!” Felicia yelped, letting out a nervous laugh. Corrin’s blush deepened, her face bright scarlet.

“I-I-uh, I-“ she stammered, wanting to die from embarrassment.

“Close your eyes,” Felicia smiled. Corrin did as she was told. She could feel Felicia’s hand grip the back of her head and pull her forward.

As their lips connected, she felt a sense of bliss wash over her. Felicia’s lips were warm and moist, a little rough from the dry air but still wonderful. They stood motionless together, lips locked, eyes closed, each unsure what to do next. Corrin drew away first, licking her lips and opening her eyes. She smiled at Felicia, a broad and toothy grin that did little to hide her happiness.

“How was that?” Felicia asked nervously, bringing a hand to her mouth, her own smile creeping into her voice.

“It was nice,” Corrin said tenderly. “Um…c-could…could we maybe do it again?”


	2. Chapter 2

Felicia buckled to the floor, clutching her face.

“Stupid girl,” snarled a man with greasy black hair. “If I had my way, I’d have you strung up for incompetence such as this.”

“I’m…I’m sorry, milord,” Felicia winced, trying not to cry. “I’ll do better next time, I promi-Oof!”

The man’s heavy boot caught her ribcage, knocking the wind out of her. “You’re getting blood on the floor. That’d better be cleaned up before King Garon arrives.”

“O-of course, milord,” Felicia stuttered. The man kicked again, his boot crunching her shoulder heavily. She lay of the floor, eyes brimming with tears.

“Hey!” an angry shout came from down the hall. “What do you think you’re doing, Iago?!”

“Disciplining your servants, since you’re obviously too weak to do it yourself,” the man turned to face his accuser, placing a boot on Felicia’s stomach.

Corrin stomped down the hall, rage flashing in her red eyes. “If you touch her again, I’ll-“

“You’ll what?” Iago laughed mirthlessly. “I am advisor to the king – I can do as I please.”

Corrin shoved him off Felicia and he stumbled backwards in surprise. “Why you impudent little-“ he raised his hand, ready to deliver a backhand blow to Corrin before a loud voice halted him.

“Iago! Enough! My father will be here soon. You need to come with me.” Xander called.

“This isn’t over, _little princess_ ,” Iago growled, his words dripping with venom. As he stepped over Felicia’s prostrate frame, he delivered another swift kick to her ribcage. “Of course, milord!” he said brightly to Xander. “Right away!”

Felicia was curled in a fetal position, sobbing.

“Oh, gods, I’m so sorry!” Corrin knelt next to her. “Are you okay?”

Felicia whimpered and shook her head.

“Here, let me see,” Corrin gently tilted Felicia’s head to get a better look. “Oh, it’s not too bad. Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay.” She wiped a stream of blood from Felicia’s mouth.

Felicia slowly uncurled herself, sniffling. “I-I’m sorry, milady. I’ll get this cleaned up r-right away…” she rolled onto her knees and began wiping up the blood with her sleeves which were now dirty from the dust on the floor.

“Felicia,” Corrin grabbed her arm.

“It-it’s okay, milady. I’ll be o-okay,” her tears spilled onto the floor, mingling with the blood she was frantically smearing around, trying and failing to clean it up.

“Felicia!” Corrin grabbed her again and tried pulling her into an embrace. “Shh, it’s okay. You don’t need to do that.”

Felicia sniffled and buried her face in Corrin’s shoulder. “If it-it isn’t clean, I-I’m going to get yelled at again…” She pulled away. “Oh, gods, I got blood on your clothes! I’m so sorry, milady!”

Corrin squeezed her tightly. “Shh, don’t say things like that. It’s okay. Don’t be silly.”

Felicia returned the embrace, ignoring the pain searing her torso. “Milady, I-“

Corrin shushed her and ran her hands through the maid’s light pink hair. “Don’t say anything.” She brushed her lips against the top of Felicia’s head. She could feel Felicia’s shuddering as she cried. “I’m here for you. Always.”

 

 

-

 

 

Corrin stared at herself in the mirror, her eyes narrowing. Her frame was limber and narrow, her pale skin illuminated by the dim light coming from the window. She turned to the side, again looking herself over. She lifted her hair, looking at her ears. She frowned.

“Felicia,” she asked suddenly, breaking the still silence of the early morning room. The maid leaned through the doorway, a bright smile on her face.

“Anything I can help you with, milady?”

“Do…do I look different?” Corrin asked, turning again and displaying her unclothed body. “I feel…different, somehow.”

Felicia blushed. “Uh, well…” she stammered awkwardly. “When a girl gets to be your age, she, uh…starts to see some…changes, and, uh…”

“No, no, no!” Corrin waved her hands, embarrassed. “Not like that!” Both girls’ faces burned pink, and they hesitated to make any eye contact. Felicia took a nervous step towards her mistress.

“I mean…” Corrin said quietly, staring at the floor. “I feel like I don’t look…normal.”

Felicia gave her a once-over, peering closely at the princess’ slight body. She squinted. “Anything in particular?”

Corrin nodded. “Look at my ears,” she said, lifting her hair up. “They’re a little bit pointy!”

“There’s nothing wrong with that!” Felicia objected. “Some people have different-shaped ears!”

Corrin pouted. “Mine look so goofy though. If I don’t put my hair the right way, it’s really obvious.”

Felicia nodded and thought for a minute. “How about a pick you up a hairband? That might make it a little easier to style your hair around it,” she suggested.

Corrin nodded. “That might work. But look here, too!” She leaned in close to Felicia’s face, staring at the maid. She opened her eyes wide. “Leo said that eye color is determined by your parents, but Father doesn’t have red eyes! Neither does any of my brothers or sisters! And mine look all funny – your pupils are round, and mine are like…slits!”

Felicia stared into Corrin’s eyes, suddenly very aware of how close their faces were. She could feel Corrin’s hot breath on her cheeks.

“Um…” she stammered again, not entirely sure what Corrin was getting at. “I…I wouldn’t know, milady,” she shrugged guiltily. “I could ask Jakob to do some research if you’d like?”

Corrin lifted a finger to her mouth and peeled her lips back. “An look ath thith!” she said, baring her teeth. “They’re tharp!” She took her finger out of her mouth, but kept her mouth open, displaying a set of razor-sharp white teeth, more resembling fangs. “No one else has sharp teeth! Here, touch one!” She grasped Felicia’s hand and held it to her mouth.

Blushing, the maid extended a cautious digit, pressing the tip of her middle finger against Corrin’s bottom incisors.

“Thee, they’re-“ Corrin began to speak again but was interrupted by a pained yelp from Felicia.

“Yowch!” she pulled her finger back and Corrin saw a thin stream of blood oozing down her hand.

“Oh, gods, I’m so sorry!” Corrin cried, cursing herself for her foolishness. “Let me see that!”  She grasped Felicia’s hand and brought it up to her mouth again. She pushed the bloodied finger into her mouth and softly sucked the wound.

“Milady, you don’t need to-“ Felicia protested, trying to carefully pull her finger out. She stopped mid-sentence as Corrin continued sucking on her finger, the sensation strange but not-altogether unpleasant. She could feel Corrin’s breathing deepen, and her eyes glazed slightly.

Her lips parted slightly and she tugged Felicia’s hand gently, pushing the finger deeper into her mouth.

Felicia gasped softly, surprised as Corrin’s tongue wrapped around her finger. She could see saliva foaming at the corner of Corrin’s lips, and she gulped. Her own breathing slowed, and the room suddenly felt uncomfortably warm. A strange feeling coiled in her stomach.

Corrin opened her lips again, this time shoving Felicia’s ring finger into her mouth as well. Felicia’s hand trembled and she let Corrin suck on both fingers, running her tongue along and between them, coating them in saliva. She moved her hand slightly, placing her pinky along one of Corrin’s cheeks and her pointed finger and thumb along the other, practically grasping the girl’s face.

Cautiously, she moved her fingers in Corrin’s mouth, running her middle finger along Corrin’s tongue, her cheek, the inside of her teeth. Corrin gasped slightly, choking a little bit, enough to make Felicia attempt to withdraw her fingers. Corrin resisted, pulling back with her lips.

Felicia obliged, again feeling the strange pressure in the pit of her stomach. She gasped as Corrin reached out a hand and clutched a fistful of her uniform’s black fabric. Felicia found her eyes wandering down from her mistress’ face, tracing down her neck and collarbone, fixating on the rise and fall of her heaving chest. Felicia fought the urge to wrap her arms around Corrin’s pale, naked frame, instead settling for pressing a third finger into her mouth. Just as she began to push the girl’s lips open, a slam echoed into the room, starling both of them from their stupor.

“Wagh!” Felicia cried out, stumbling backwards and tripping over the clothes she was supposed to be helping Corrin get dressed into.

Corrin cried out simultaneously, her entire face erupting into a bright shade of scarlet.

“What’s the hold up?” came a stern voice.

“Uh, j-j-just a second, Jakob!” Felicia called back, trying to gather the clothes up. “She’s still getting dressed!” she felt her face burning.

 

 

-

 

 

Corrin clenched her teeth, a soft hiss escaping as Felicia poured a cold liquid down her back.

“Sorry, milady. I know it hurts.”

“It’s…it’s okay,” Corrin clutched a fold of her cape, squeezing it tightly to numb the pain coursing across her back.

With her slender fingers, Felicia wiped the sizzling, foaming liquid off Corrin’s bare back, careful not to too forcefully press the dark red lacerations crisscrossing along it. Corrin shuddered again, letting out a soft moan.

“I’m sorry, milady. You know how this works. It’ll get infected if I don’t clean the wounds.”

Corrin, gasping, nodded. “I-I know…I know…Just…hurts, is all.”

Felicia brushed Corrin’s long white hair forward, pulling it off her back, careful to not tug. She stared at Corrin’s back, momentarily forgetting her task. She could see scars under the fresh wounds. The cruelty of Nohrian nobility was known far and wide, but this…this was something else. She shuddered and began wiping the again. The peroxide cleaned the gashes, but blood continued to slowly ooze down her back.

“What was it for this time?” Felicia asked softly. She prepared a roll of bandages.

Corrin breathed heavily, nodding. “I…I…didn’t properly greet the visiting nobles. F-father was upset.”

“I’m going to bandage you up now, okay? It’ll hurt a bit.”

Corrin nodded and continued to speak. “H-he said that I needed to learn some manners, so h-he – ah!“

“Shh, it’s okay.” Felicia said. She reached around Corrin’s midsection and began wrapping her in bandages. Blood still seeped through the bandages, but the flow was lessening.

With a surprising amount of deftness, Felicia finished up bandaging Corrin’s torso. She helped the girl back into her shirt and softly draped her blue cape over her shoulders.

“You still have to attend your sparring lessons, milady. I’m sorry.”

Corrin moaned, wincing as she leaned forward. “I feel like I can’t even stand. Do you have anything for the pain?”

Felicia shook her head. “I don’t think so. Jakob said I can’t give you medicine until I learn more about healing magic. For now this is all I can do.”

Corrin nodded and slid of Felicia’s makeshift doctor’s table. She stopped at the door, leaning heavily on the doorframe. She looked back at her doctor.

“T-thanks, Felicia.”

“Of course, milady.” Felicia stared at the young princess, concern not even hidden on her face. Corrin looked awfully tired. “Please…” Felicia whispered. “Be careful.”

 

 

-

 

 

Corrin walked down the hallway towards the maids’ quarters. Felicia had promised to play with her this afternoon, but something must have been keeping her. As she approached the heavy wooden door, she heard raised voices. One was Felicia, her high-pitched voice unmistakable. The other Corrin couldn’t quite make out. She crept closer, putting her ear against the door, trying to listen.

“I can’t believe you!” the other voice shouted, thick with anger.

“I-I’m sorry!” Felicia stammered. “I didn’t-“

“You didn’t what?! Think?”

“Flora, please – “ Felicia pleaded. It was her sister.

“A maid? With a princess like her? You’re a fool, Felicia. I love you, but you’re a fool. But if you want to try, and invite that punishment upon yourself, then be my guest.”

“I know! But I don’t know what to do!”

“Listen to me,” Flora snapped. “Think about what you’re saying. Think about everything they’ve done to us – to our people!”

“I know, Flora, but she’s different!”

“She’s not! They’re all the same! All of the nobles in this godforsaken country! My own sister…gods, I can’t believe you’d even suggest such a thing! What would father say?!”

“Father is the one who sent us here…” Felicia said quietly.

“Sent us here?!” Flora sneered. “We’re prisoners, don’t you get it! Daughters of the Ice Tribe’s chief, and they have us down on our knees, scrubbing floors and washing royal clothes. It’s disgusting. It’s bad enough to do the work, but now…you’re saying you’re in love with your captor?!”

“Flora, I came to you for advice!” Felicia protested. “I can’t change how I feel. Besides, she’s a prisoner too! Don’t you see how they treat her?”

“That’s how Nohrians treat their own. If you’ve been blind all these years, it’s your own damn fault.”

“F-Flora, I never knew you were so angry! You always treated her with such kindness…”

“Because it’s my job. And I will continue to treat her with kindness. But don’t think that I will _ever_ hate her with any less than every fiber of my being. She’s a snobby, rich royal, just as heartless as all the others. If you’re too foolish to see that…then I can’t help you. My own sister! Gods.”

“Flora…”

“What?!” Flora snapped again. “I don’t care what you have to say. As far as I’m concerned, you’re a no-good traitor. They’re the enemy! I-“

A door slammed, and a loud, gruff voice spoke. “Ladies, is there a problem here?”

The voices immediately hushed. “N-no, Sir Gunter, sir.” Flora stammered.

“Good,” Gunter grunted. “We’re expecting guests this afternoon, so the atrium needs to be spotless before they arrive.”

“Of course, sir. Right away, sir.” Felicia said softly.

Corrin, ear to the door, felt sick. The words of the two maids rolled around her mind, making her heart ache.

 

 

-

 

 

Corrin absentmindedly sifted her spoon through her stew. It was a rather lean meal, some sort of tough and gamey meat in a thin broth, served with hard bread. She was, as had became customary, eating with the servants in their quarters. The bulk of the higher quality food was reserved for higher ranking members of the royal court, for guard commanders and knights. On a good day, the leftovers weren’t awful. On a bad day it was sometimes better to skip meals. This was an okay day, all things considered. She gnawed on a chunk of meat, her fangs slicing through the tough, sinewy chunks with relative easy. The changes in her body were still strange to her, but at least some had benefits.

“How was your day, milady?” a cheerful Felicia asked, directly across the table from Corrin. She had a bandage around her wrist, the remedy for an unfortunate accident involving shards of broken glassware and a misplaced wooden cart.

“Fine!” Corrin said, mouth still full of food. “Leo said that I’m getting a lot better at history, and-“

Jakob cleared his throat, interrupting Corrin. Her gave her a pointed stare.

Corrin paused, chewing thoughtfully. Then it hit her. “Oh!” she said, reaching for a glass of water to choke down her food. “Whoops, sorry!”

Jakob nodded, smiling. “It’s not very becoming of a princess to speak with her mouth full, milady. I’m sure no one here minds, but the royal family likely would.”

“You’re right, Jakob,” Corrin said apologetically. “I’m sorry. I’ll try harder next time.”

“I’m just looking out for you, milady,” Jakob said. “Oh, and please try and keep your elbows off the table as well.”

Corrin frantically adjusted, trying to remember all the proper table manners Gunter had drilled into her. She straightened up in her seat and began eating again, a paragon of comportment. Satisfied, Jakob nodded.

“Anyway, how was your day, Felicia?” Corrin asked, resuming her previous conversation. She smiled and chatted politely with the other servants around the table, laughing at their jokes and listening attentively to their stories, speaking up when prompted or when addressed. Midway through the meal, she noticed something.

“Flora, are you feeling alright? You’ve barely touched your food.” Corrin asked. Flora was sitting next to Felicia, silent, staring into her bowl.

“Yes, milady,” came the soft, polite reply.

“Did you have a good day?” Corrin tried again, cheerfully.

“I did all that was asked of me, milady.”

Corrin frowned.

“Come on, Flora. Cheer up!” Felicia goaded her. “I hear a traveling company of merchants will be visiting soon. That’ll be fun, won’t it?”

Flora scratched behind her ear disinterestedly. “If Lady Corrin would like to go.”

Felicia shrugged and made an “I don’t know” face at Corrin, who returned the gesture. The two resumed their talking and giggling over this and that.

Underneath the table, Corrin’s foot brushed against Felicia’s. She smirked at the maid and stroked her toe against Felicia’s shin, laughing at Felicia’s startled exclamation. As the meal continued, the two played footsies under the table, Corrin’s bare foot working its way up Felicia’s leg till finally she stretched her leg out entirely. She poked her foot up Felicia’s skirt, drawing a blush. Felicia smiled and stuck her tongue out playfully. Corrin pressed her toes against the soft fabric of Felicia’s underwear, smiling as the maid nearly choked on her water.

“Will you two please _stop it?_ ” Flora slammed her find down on the table, rattling the silverware. The various conversations around the room hushed. Flora’s clenched fist withdrew from the table. She stood up and pushed her chair in.

She looked around the room. “I’ll be in the study if anyone needs me.” With that, she departed, leaving the dinner conversations to resume.

“What was that all about?” Corrin asked. Felicia shrugged again.

After dinner, true to her word, Corrin found Flora in the study. The maid was sitting at a desk reading a thick blue tome. She turned the pages delicately, her thin fingers stroking the binding.

“Excuse me,” Corrin said quietly.

Flora turned another page.

“Excuse me,” Corrin said again, louder this time.

The room was silent except for a crackling sound coming from the fireplace and a rustle of pages.

“Flora.”

“Yes, milady?” Flora said, almost too politely. She closed her book, leaving a thumb in to mark her place.

“I just wanted to talk, if that’s alright.”

“Of course, milady. I always have time for you.” Flora set the book down and stood up before bowing. “Would you like some tea, milady?”

“No, I’m fine,” Corrin said, frowning. “I…I wanted to talk about what happened at dinner.” She took a nervous step closer towards Flora.

“I’m sorry for my outburst,” Flora said curtly. “It was very impolite.”

“No,” Corrin said hastily. “No, you weren’t in the wrong! We were being childish. It wasn’t behavior fitting our station.”

“As you say, milady.”

“Flora, is there anything I can do for you?” Corrin asked, cocking her head to the side. She took another step towards Flora.

“Don’t be silly,” Flora shook her head. “I’m here to serve you, not the other way around.” She caught herself staring at Corrin as she walked closer. She shuddered suddenly, unsure why. What was this feeling?

“Would you like to do something together, maybe?” Corrin asked. “We could play a game. Leo has been trying to teach me how to play chess, though I’m not very good yet.”

“If you’d like, milady.”

“Flora,” Corrin said sternly, gently grabbing Flora’s shoulder. “What would _you_ like?”

“I-“ Flora faltered for just a moment. She froze, feeling Corrin’s hand on her shoulder. A voice, deep inside of her screamed, crying out for the touch. For even an ounce of the love and affection Corrin showed her sister. Ah, that was the feeling. Jealousy, burning deep in her chest, an aching, wrenching sensation. She felt numb, the realization washing over her. Grab her, throw your arms around her. Beg. Beg for the attention she so freely showers on Felicia. Throw yourself to the ground, kiss her feet. Flora opened her mouth to speak but found no words coming out.

“Flora, are you alright?” Corrin asked. Her eyes, dark and piercing, blazed in Flora’s mind. She stared into the reptilian pupils, the feeling of unfamiliarity both enticing and frightening. “Flora?” she heard Corrin ask again.

“I’m fine, milady,” Flora smiled politely. “It’s been a long day. I think I’ll turn in early, if you don’t mind.”

 

 

-

 

 

“Um…can I ask you a weird question?” Corrin asked nervously. She sat on a hillside in the dark Nohrian twilight, sharing a picnic blanket with her sister. Camilla had somehow convinced Garon to allow her to leave the Northern Fortress, and even that only happened due to pressure from Xander as well. It was a small victory – a hike outside the fortress and a picnic, not even an entire day outside – but it was something.

Camilla sipped a cup of tea. “Of course, darling! Anything for you.”

Corrin hummed anxiously. “I…”

“No need to be so nervous,” Camilla smiled playfully. “I promise, nothing between us is off-limits.”

“Uh…I’m just trying to think of how to phrase it.” Corrin nibbled at a piece of bread, almost obviously eating just to avoid having to speak. She took a deep breath.

“H-how do you know, if, um…you’re in love?”

Camilla practically squealed. “Oh, my little Corrin has a crush! Oh, you must tell me who the lucky man it is! We can set up dinner dates, tea dates, romantic visits, oh, the possibilities are endless!” She paused. “But I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves there. What are you asking?”

“I…I dunno,” Corrin mumbled. “I…think I might be in love, but I’m not really sure. I don’t know what…it’s like? If that makes sense? I’ve read books and stuff, but in person…”

Camilla smiled warmly. “I’ve always been on the opinion that there’s no definite way to know. When you know…you know!” she took another sip of tea. “But I guess that doesn’t really help your predicament. Do you know how he feels about you?”

“Well, uh…that’s the thing,” Corrin said, blushing, staring at the picnic blanket.

“Oh, I see,” Camilla nodded gravely. “Unrequited love can-“

“That’s not it!” Corrin protested. “It’s…um…well…it’s not a he. It’s a she.”

Camilla smiled again. “Oh, Corrin, I’m so happy for you!”

“It’s weird, though! In all my books it’s always a prince and a princess, or a boy and a girl, or…or…”

Camilla shook her head and laughed. “My darling sister, that doesn’t matter. Why would love discriminate between men and women?”

Corrin shrugged. “I dunno. I just…feel funny.”

“Okay, well, it’s silly to worry about the fact that it’s another girl. Let’s just get that straight.” Camilla said, chuckling slightly at her little joke. “The real question, here, is if you really are in love or not, right?”

Corrin nodded.

“Well, how do you feel around her?”

Corrin gulped. “I…uh…well, I feel nervous sometimes. Like…my stomach feels all funny, and…my face gets all hot, and…yeah.”

Camilla nodded. “Go on.”

“B-but sometimes,” Corrin continued, “she makes me feel really happy, too! It brightens my day when I see her, and she always makes me smile, and I want to spend time with her.”

“Hm…sounds like quite a case of lovesickness to me,” Camilla responded, mentally going through the list of possible crushes in her head. It’s a girl, in the Northern Fortress, and one that Corrin regularly interacts with. That pretty much narrows it down to the maids and soldiers. Camilla silently cursed herself for not being very familiar with the staff around the Northern Fortress. She frowned.

“I’m assuming this would be someone at the Northern Fortress? Perhaps a servant or guard?”

Corrin nodded shyly.

“Hm,” Camilla paused for a moment. “Elise!” she looked up, shouting to the peppy blonde girl playing a short ways down the hill. “Come here, please!” Camilla turned back to Corrin. “I think this is a valuable teaching moment for the both of you.”

Elise jogged back to the picnic blanket and sat down, immediately digging through the basket they had brought looking for something to munch on. “What’s up?” she asked brightly.

“Elise, Corrin has-“

Corrin blushed, waving her hands. “Gods, you don’t need to tell her!”

Camilla shook her head. “This is important. Corrin has revealed that she may or may not be…” she looked at Corrin and winked. “In love with some mysterious employee here at the Northern Fortress. Can you see why that might be a problem?”

Elise hummed as she nibbled on a cookie. “Um…”

Corrin shook her head as well. “Where are you going with this?”

“You need to be very careful,” Camilla said gravely. “For one thing, Father never did take too kindly to…ah…intermingling with…inferior people, as he would put it.”

Corrin nodded. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

“But it’s more than that,” Camilla continued. “If you make advances on this person, it would put them in a very uncomfortable position.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…they’re a subordinate. Their job is to serve you and ensure your needs are met. So if you come to them with a…romantic proposition, what would they do?”

Corrin began to understand. “Oh.”

“Imagine, say, you want to begin a relationship with a servant. A butler, perhaps. If he says yes, he risks being singled out as a favorite – given less chores, given greater freedom, allowed to slack off his work…he’d ostracize himself from the other servants and become a target of ire among the staff.” Camilla poured another cup of tea. “And imagine the other side. If he says no, this could be devastating – he runs the risk of being fired: losing his income and his home.”

“I would never!” Corrin protested.

“I know you’re not that heartless,” Camilla said. “You would never be so cruel as to mete out punishment just because of rejection. But that’s what would be going through their mind. An easier way to think of it is that you cannot get consent from an insubordinate. Their job is to serve you, so agreements for any sort of romantic arrangement wouldn’t be genuine. You’d be placing them in a very difficult position, and you’d be running great risk of punishment for both them and yourself.”

Corrin nodded sadly. “I…I understand.”

Camilla chuckled. “That’s not to say you can’t have some fun now and then, but…maybe let’s save that for when you’re older. Now cheer up! You only get to enjoy the fresh air so often!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For clarification, as the stories go on the characters age, so at the point they're reaching canonical ages.


	3. Chapter 3

The red eyes of the princess looked dark, her gaze vacant and hollow. Felicia, sitting behind her in the bath, scrubbed her hair with soap.

“Milady,” she said nervously.

Corrin turned, slowly. She seemed pale and sickly, and Felicia could see her ribcage through her thin, near-translucent skin. The king’s temper had been growing worse of late, and Felicia found herself tasked more and more often with just ensuring that Corrin could maintain a semblance of normalcy. When she was younger, the punishments came less often and with less severity. But now…

“I…I can sneak some food from the kitchens for you if you’d like, after this.”

Corrin shook her head. “N-no,” she said, her voice hoarse. “You’ll get in trouble. I’ll b-be okay.”

 Felicia ran a soapy cloth over Corrin’s back, her gaze fixed on the dense clusters of scars.

She fought back tears. How could Garon treat his own child like this? It was beyond punishments – it was torture, brought on by the slightest provocation. What was it this time? Failing to perform adequately during training? Failing to bow deeply enough during the king’s visits? Felicia clenched her teeth in anger. She felt the rage boiling inside her stomach. She was an abysmal maid – she knew this, so no reason to hide it. But even her punishments – for far worse transgressions, no less – weren’t this severe.

All the royal children bore the brunt of the king’s awful temper, but Corrin drew the worst of it. Beatings, whippings, starvation…angry tears rolled down the maid’s face as she remembered the little girl who had been so kind when she first arrived at the Northern Fortress. Now, as she had to yet again bathe a girl too weak to bathe herself, she felt nothing but searing rage.

And how could the others do nothing about it?! Xander, at least, held some sway with the king. Why did he not put a stop to-

“Ow!’ Corrin cried out, and Felicia realized that she had accidentally yanked Corrin’s wet hair.

“Oh, gods, I’m sorry, milady! I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking!”

She quickly resumed her duties, helping Corrin bathe and dry off. She wrapped the thin girl in a towel and helped her back to her quarters. She laid Corrin down in her bed, propping her head up on a pillow.

“F-Felicia,” Corrin groaned. “C-can you…stay with me?”

Felicia nodded. “I’ll be right back, okay? I’m just going to go get you some food.”

“N-no!” Corrin said, her eyes wide with fear. “Y-you can’t!” She tried propping herself up in bed. “D-don’t go!”

Felicia gently pushed her back down into the bed. “Shh, shh…it’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

Corrin trembled. “D-d-don’t leave me,” she gasped. “P-please…”

Felicia put both hands on Corrin’s cheeks and brought her face in close. “I promise,” she kissed Corrin’s forehead. “I’ll be back. I promise.”

 

 

-

 

 

Corrin drew her sword and pointed it at the straw training dummy.

“And…” Xander drew the word out. “Strike!”

Corrin lunged, slashing the blade into the dummy, getting rewarded with a spray of split straw.

“Again!”

Corrin lunged again.

“Backstep! Dodge! Lunge! Side swipe! Lunge!” Xander’s voice boomed through the courtyard, and before long Corrin was drenched in sweat. It was cold in the fortress, true, but Xander’s rigorous training was enough to make anyone hot.

“Good! You’re getting much better, little princess,” Xander smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. “How about we take a break?”

Corrin nodded, out of breath.

She and Xander sat down on a pair of hay bales and he passed her a flask of water, which she gladly gulped down.

“So,” he began, clearing his throat. “I…uh…I hear you have developed quite the…relationship with one of the maids.”

Corrin almost choked on her water. “W-what? Who told you that?”

Xander laughed. “A combination of things. A hunch, some comments from Camilla, whispers here and there…and, well, that reaction was a pretty big clue.”

Corrin wiped her mouth. “Um…I…maybe you’re right.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Corrin blushed. “I…”

Xander laughed. “I know it’s awkward to talk to your older brother about these sorts of things, but…well, it’s not like you have many options. Not like Father would be here to dispense romantic advice.”

He took a drink from his own water flask. “At any rate, Camilla and I have spoken about it, and we feel that the choices that you make are your own, and we shouldn’t interfere with your life in this way. You spoke to Camilla about this, yes?”

Corrin nodded. “She said it was a bad idea.”

Xander chuckled. “A bit hypocritical coming from someone who treats her retainers the way she does. I have half a mind to think she just wants to keep you for herself.”

“I kind of guessed that, too.”

“She is right, though. This is difficult ground for you to walk. I would say that priority number one would be keeping this from Father.”

“Wasn’t Elise’s mother a maid?” Corrin asked.

Xander sighed. “He is very much a man who lives by ‘do as I say, not as I do’. I think his concern is about any sort of scandal that could possibly break out, or a non-royal family member gaining control over one of his children.”

“You wouldn’t think he would care about that happening to me.”

Xander put a hand on Corrin’s leg. “It’s a political move he’d be worried about, not your personal life.”

“Of course.”

“Xander…why does Father hate me?”

Xander paused. Between them the cold breeze drifted, the scent of stone and frost on the wind. He began to speak several times, each time stopping himself.

“He doesn’t hate you,” is what he finally decided to begin with.

Corrin frowned, kicking at the dirt with her bare foot. “He does hate me. I know he does. It’s because I’m a monster.”

Xander frowned. “Why would you say that? Of course you aren’t a monster!”

Corrin looked up at him, exasperated. “Look at me! I don’t look anything like your or Leo or Elise or Camilla! I’m a monster! Just admit it!”

“Corrin, where is this coming from?!” a look of genuine concern crossed his face. “Why do you say you’re a monster?”

“My teeth, and my ears, and my eyes, and my hands look funny, and, and, and,” Corrin felt herself panicking and tried to calm herself. “I-I-I look in the mirror and barely feel human sometimes!”

 Xander stared at her, silent.

“You can’t even say anything back! You know it’s true!” She got up, tears running down her face.

“Corrin, please,” Xander begged her. “Let’s talk about this.”

Corrin shook her head and ran from the practice yard, tears flowing freely now. She sobbed, her breath ragged and choking as she ran. She shouldered past a pair of guards and nearly bowled into a maid before running down the hall towards her bedroom. She slammed the door behind herself and flopped down into bed headfirst, bawling into her pillow.

Not long after, she heard a rap at the door.

“Go away!” she yelled before burying her face in the pillow once again.

The knocking came again, a soft tap.

“I said go away, Xander! I don’t want to talk!” she said, her voice wavering.

“I-it’s me, milady,” came a nervous voice. “Is everything alright?”

“Oh,” Corrin sniffled, wiping her face. “You can come in, Felicia.” She curled up on the bed, stifling her sobs.

The heard the soft footsteps as the maid approached her bed. “M-may I sit, milady?”

“O-of…” Corrin sniffed again. “Of course. You’re always w-welcome.”

Felicia sat next to her on the bed and draped a gentle hand over her shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Felicia,” Corrin said weakly, sitting up. “A-am I a monster?”

“Of course not!” Felicia hushed her, wrapping her arms around her. “Don’t say that!”

Corrin sniffed and buried her face in Felicia’s shoulder. “B-but, b-but-“

“No buts!” Felicia scolded her. “You’re strong and beautiful and amazing and should never think about yourself like that!”

Corrin let out another burst of sobs. “I’m not, though. I’m awful. I’m the worst.”

“Shhh,” Felicia stroked her hair. “Shh, no, don’t say that.”

“I’m a monster…look at me! I don’t even look human!”

Felicia said nothing but continued running her slender fingers through Corrin’s hair. She continued softly shushing her.

“I-I-“ Corrin sputtered. “If I wasn’t a monster, Father would love me, and-“

Felicia interrupted her, squeezing her tightly. “Don’t think about that.”

“H-he hates me because I’m a monster,” Corrin continued. “If I were normal, I could live with him and the others, and he wouldn’t hate me, and-“

Felicia squeezed her again. “Don’t ever talk like that. If you were there, then I wouldn’t get to spend so much time with you.”

Corrin returned the hug, tightly wrapping herself around Felicia’s body.

Felicia continued. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”

“I-I love you, Felicia,” Corrin said quietly, almost inaudibly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

 

 

-

 

 

Corrin looked around the table nervously before cautiously sinking her fork into the hunk of cooked meat before her. She breathed in, breathed out. Calm. Collected. She used a steak knife to cut off a small piece, which she delicately ate.

It was incredible. Possibly the best food she had ever eaten. Even when not being punished, the food she got was usually stale or cold. To have real, fresh food - the kind that nobles ate regularly  - was a blissful and exotic experience. She savored the bite, slowly chewing, before washing it down with a sip of her wine. She heard someone clearing their throat and was brought back to reality.

She sat at a long dinner table in a banquet hall, surrounded by her siblings and a legion of Nohrian nobility. She had been forced to dress up for the event – Felicia and Flora had even helped her into a corset. Camilla, draped in a gorgeous black dress, elbowed her gently.

“Um…” Corrin tried to remember what was happening. “I…uh…”

“Looks like all that time cooped up in the north hasn’t done any good for her social skills,” a bearded man commented, drawing a few laughs from some other nobility.

“Hey, Prince Xander, I thought you said she was getting a good education up there! She can speak, right?” another noble, a thin man with wiry hair, commented, taking a drink of his wine.

“Her isolation – for her own safety, mind you – simply means she is unused to court life,” Xander said, shooting a glare across the table. “I’d imagine any of us were just as frightened the first time we were dragged to a drab dinner party with such rude gentleman as yourselves,” he said jovially. This drew more laughs.

“The difference being, I was attending these when I was barely done breastfeeding!” came another comment from a man speaking with his mouth full. “She certainly doesn’t look like a child to me!”

“Not that I’m complaining!” another man commented, his face tinted pink. “Who knew you were keeping such beauties cooped up in the north. All for yourself, eh?”

Corrin saw Leo clench his teeth and Camilla put a hand on his leg.

“Now, now, gentlemen,” she said calmly. “Surely our little Corrin can’t possibly compare to the…ah…voluptuous beauties you have for yourselves.” More laughs.

Corrin nervously looked around. The nobles around the table, drunken and boisterous, seemed to be enjoying themselves. Xander’s jabs didn’t seem to bother them, and the prince seemed excellent at diffusing any awkwardness. She took another bite of her steak, resisting the urge to gnaw with her pointed canine teeth – or fangs, as she had taken to calling them. The meat she was used to eating practically needed ripping and tearing, but this was something else entirely.

She spied at the far end of the table a pale man with long, greasy hair. He was silent, a look of contempt and boredom plastered on his face.

“Iago, are you not enjoying yourself?” Xander asked.

“Oh of course, milord,” he said, smiling graciously. Corrin noted that he seemed to have too many teeth in his mouth when he smiled. “I just…have quite a bit on my mind, you see. Preparations are going slowly.”

“Of course,” Xander nodded. “But please, you’re here to enjoy yourself. Perhaps have some more wine, that’ll loosen you up.”

Corrin took another sip of her own wine, finishing the glass. She was unused to any sort of alcohol, and even the few glasses she had drank so far had begun to take a toll on her. 

“More wine, milady?”

She turned, her head slightly fuzzy. “F-Felicia?”

‘Perhaps you’ve had enough,” Felicia said, bowing. “I’ll get you some water.”

She sipped the water as the party continued on. More banter from nobles, reports about trade routes and skirmishes, seeing this show or that at the theater, recommendations for blacksmiths or horse breeders. She made a note of several of the nobles hitting on the maids, almost speaking up when she saw Iago groping the maid serving him wine.

As the party petered out, Corrin found herself sobering up a bit. She could think clearly…well, clearly enough. But the wine left a pleasant buzz in her head as she made her way back to her room. They were visiting another castle, south of the Northern Fortress. She paused at a junction in the hall. Was her room…left? Or right?

She couldn’t remember. Let’s try left. She tottered around the corner, smiling. Good food, good drink…this wasn’t a bad evening, all things considered.

She rounded another corner and found herself at a balcony. She paused, enjoying the breeze and looking out over the rest of the castle. The height of the balcony made her a little nervous, especially in her state. Okay, so that wasn’t her room. She turned, almost running headfirst into someone behind her. She looked up.

“Having trouble finding your room, milady?” a voice slurred.

Corrin frowned. It was Iago, his pale face tinted lightly pink. She tried to push past him.

“Where are you going, _milady_?” he said, sneering and blocking her path. “Do you even know where you’re going? That’s no way to treat nobility.”

“You’re drunk,” she said curtly. “I’m going to bed.”

“Alone? Quite the pity,” Iago leaned forward, and Corrin could smell his awful cologne. She leaned back, stepping backwards onto the balcony.

“What?” Iago taunted. “It’s not like you could stop me. I can do whatever I want,” he said, stumbling slightly. He must have been very drunk. “I have the…urg…the king’s permission…to act as I see fit in the interests of…of…Nohr,” he struggled piecing together the complex sentence. He lurched forward onto the balcony, over Corrin.

She tried to push him away.

He grunted and grabbed her by the neck, pushing her against the balcony railing. She looked over her shoulder, down the precarious drop to the castle courtyard below. She saw a few patrolling guards and considered crying for help.

“If you say something…” Iago pressed his face in close to hers and licked his lips. “Who’s to say you didn’t have a little accident. Too much wine, you know…those balconies can really be…dangerous.” Breathing heavily, he ran his tongue along her jawbone.

Corrin felt panic sinking in and she began to hyperventilate.

“Turn around!” Iago commanded gruffly, pulling her forward and spinning her around before roughly shoving her stomach against the balcony railing. Tears streamed down her face and she tried to control her breathing.

Just as she felt a hand on her leg, she heard a commanding voice call out. “Master Iago!”

Iago grunted and turned to see a blue-haired maid walking towards him. “Eh?”

“Lord Xander requests your presence immediately in the main hall,” Flora said, bowing. “He said it was an urgent matter.”

Iago frowned. “Seems a little late for a meeting, don’t you think?”

“I wouldn’t know, sir,” Flora said, her voice rock-solid and unwavering. “All he said is that it required your immediate attention.”

Iago snarled and threw Corrin to the balcony floor roughly. “Stupid mongrel,” he hissed at her as he stepped over her prone form.

Corrin curled up in a fetal position, her tears stopped but her breathing still rough and ragged. Flora knelt over her. “Are you alright, milady?”

Corrin nodded, squeezing her eyes shut.

“He’s drunk,” Flora said, placing a gentle hand on Corrin’s shoulder. “By the time he reaches the atrium and realizes Xander isn’t there, he’ll be too tired to come looking for you.”

Corrin squeezed her legs tightly. “T-thank you,” she whispered.

Flora nodded. “Come on, milady. Let’s get you to bed.” She helped Corrin to her feet and put an arm around her to steady her. The walk back to her room was slow going. “I’ll send my sister up with some hot milk for you. Does that sound alright, milady?”

Corrin nodded, feeling tears coming again.

“I…I’m sorry, milady.” Flora helped her into bed. “I’ll cover my sister’s chores for the night, if you’d like to have her spend time with you.”

Corrin sniffled and buried her face in her pillow.

 

In the morning, Flora came in to wake Corrin and ready her for another day of mingling with nobility. She walked into the dark room and paused before drawing the curtains open, staring at the bed.

Corrin was snoring softly, nestled under the covers, arms entwined with Felicia’s. Her face was buried in the crook of the maid’s neck. Her usual anxious expression was replaced with a look of serene happiness.

Flora smiled, realizing that her thoughts applied to both her sister and the princess. She stood still, allowing the two girls another moment of peace together. Then she threw the curtains wide, and light streamed into the small guest bedroom.

 

 

-

 

 

There was a knock at the door. Corrin looked up from her book, squinting in the dim candlelight. “Hello?”

A flat voice came from behind the door, muffled by the thick wood. “It’s me, milady. Do you have a moment to speak?”

“Of course, Flora!” Corrin said, slipping a bookmark into her book and shutting it. She pushed the covers off and scooted out of bed. “Come in, come in!”

The blue-haired maid stepped into the room, bowing.

“What’s the matter?” Corrin asked, gesturing for Flora to sit at her desk chair.

“It’s about a rather…ahem…personal matter,” Flora said, clearly trying to avoid the subject.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Corrin cocked her head to the side.

“It’s about the other night…at the fortress to the south,” Flora said quietly.

“Oh.” The air in the room felt cold and still. Corrin felt her heart sink into her stomach, her cheer evaporating.

“I…are you alright?” Flora asked, not looking at Corrin.

The princess nodded slowly.

Flora gulped and took a deep breath.

“Was…was that the first time that happened to you?”

Corrin pursed her lips. She let out a breath.

“It’s okay. You can talk to me.”

Corrin shook her head. “No,” she said, almost inaudibly, scarcely even a whisper.

Flora sighed and sat next to Corrin on the bed. “Me too,” she said tenderly. “Was it him before, as well?”

Corrin shook her head again, but remained silent.

Flora put a gentle hand on Corrin’s leg. “I…I won’t ask any more. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

Corrin nodded. “P-please,” she said. “D-don’t tell Felicia.”

Flora nodded. “I won’t.”

They sat together on the bed in silence. Corrin stared at the floor, her bare toes almost reaching off the bed and down to the wood paneling.

“I wanted to apologize,” Flora said, breaking the stillness at long last.

“For what?” Corrin asked.

“For…the way I’ve treated you all these years,” Flora replied, her eyes boring holes in the floor as well. “I…I’ve been terrible, and you didn’t deserve it.”

“What are you talking about? You’ve been nothing but kind to me.”

“That was a lie,” Flora said, sighing. “A front. I…” she clenched her fists, grabbing up the black fabric. “I hated you. With all my being, I despised you.”

Corrin looked at her curiously.

“When Felicia and I came here, it was by force. We had no say, and we knew very little about you. All I knew was about the atrocities that the Nohrians commit. I grew up on stories of how they tortured our people, how their nobles bled dry the land, how they robbed and murdered and gave no thought to others…”

She turned to Corrin, her eyes fierce. “I knew nothing but my hatred of the Nohrians and their king. Then, to be sent here…to see you playing and learning, enjoying yourself…while we were prisoners, forced to serve you. I…I wanted nothing more than for you to die. All that rage, all that hatred…I directed it the only place I knew where. None of the other nobles visited often enough for me to really feel more than a passing anger towards. But you…every day, you were a reminder of the pain and the cruelty and the unfairness…” she sighed again.

“I was going to kill you,” she finally admitted. “I…I had planned on doing it for quite some time. I would wake in the morning and tell myself, ‘today is the day’. I was set on it. I would do it, then make a run for it. Even if I were caught and executed, a blow would be struck against the king. His prized daughter, hidden away in his most secure fortress…”

Corrin stared at her, unsure what to say.

“I realize now what I fool I was. But I was dead set on it at the time. That was…until my sister confessed to me that she had feelings for you. I…I was so angry with her. I didn’t want to speak with her or see her…it was as if she was dead to me. I saw it as a betrayal.” She shook her head. “It strengthened my resolve. I would have my revenge. And I would right my wayward sister and show her that you were just like all the other nobles. That you were just as cruel and heartless as them. She tried to tell me that you were different – you were treated so horribly, so how could you be like them?”

Corrin saw tears welling in her eyes.

Flora continued clutching her skirts, her fists shaking. “I didn’t listen to her. It was willful ignorance, I now see. I saw how they treated you, and I told myself that that’s just how they treat people in Nohr. But I was wrong. You…you aren’t like them. I’ve seen you bear the brunt of the horrible, awful monsters in this kingdom. You’ve been treated far worse than I ever have been…and yet, I see you treat everyone with kindness and love. I’ve never seen you get angry without provocation, or raise a fist against someone else…I saw you as my captor. The warden of my prison. But you’re a victim, more so than anyone else here.  If we are to survive this hell, we are going to do it together – you, Felicia and I.” She turned and looked Corrin in the eyes. “I swear, I will do whatever it takes to make your life better.”

Corrin smiled, blinking away her own tears. She threw her arms around Flora. “Oh, Flora…”

Flora returned the embrace. “I’m sorry…I lied to you for so long…” she sighed. “I’m done lying. For all our sakes.”

They pulled apart. “I…I also wanted to tell you…” Flora said, a slight smile crossing her face. “My sister loves you very much.”

“Well, yeah. I love her too. I love you both.”

“No, like…she _loves_ you,” Flora said, emphasizing heavily. She raised her eyebrows at Corrin. “Like…really, really loves you. Like…” she nodded vaguely.

“Oh!” Corrin said, getting it finally. “Like…like _that_ kind of love!”

Flora nodded and got up from the bed. “I told her not to talk to you about it since she’s a maid and you’re a princess, but I figured you ought to know. If there’s anyone who I would want to be with my sister…it would be you, milady.”

She paused at the door, turning around. “Oh, and Lady Corrin? If you break her heart, I _will_ kill you.”

 

 

-

 

 

Corrin pushed her down onto the bed, lips locked, hungrily thrusting her tongue into Felicia’s mouth. The maid assisted, pulling Corrin on top of her into a straddling position. Corrin broke the kiss first, gasping.

“M-milady, I-“ Felicia said, breathless.

“Shhh!” Corrin whispered, shushing her with another kiss. She put both hands on the back of Felicia’s head, pressing their faces together forcefully. Felicia gripped Corrin’s hips, pulling her forward and moving her in a rhythmic, grinding motion.

Corrin sat up, moaning softly before putting a hand to her mouth to stifle herself. The room was dark, a bare candle the only source of light. Outside the room, the castle was dim and empty, footsteps echoing before getting lost in the labyrinthine hallways. The two girls smiled at each other, and Felicia suppressed a giggle. The footsteps drew louder as the figure drew closer and closer. Corrin leaned down and kissed Felicia’s cheek. The bed creaked as she began grinding her hips into the maid again.

Felicia’s eyes widened, and she put a finger to her lips. “Shh!” she whispered!

A mischievous look crossed Corrin’s face and she readjusted in order to lift Felicia’s skirts, exposing her pale, soft skin and light blue panties, already damp with excitement. Felicia again widened her eyes, shaking her head. The footsteps, heavy clomping boots and a matching rattle of metal armor, grew louder. It seemed as if they were just outside the door.

Corrin smiled impishly and put her face between Felicia’s thighs, nipping with her teeth at the soft flesh right above her thigh-highs. Felicia gasped.

The stomping boots outside stopped.

Corrin looked up and the two girls made eye contact, both frozen. The silence was almost palpable.

After what seemed like an eternity, the footsteps resumed, walking away at the same plodding pace it had arrived.

Corrin let out a laugh and kissed Felicia’s thighs again, resuming her teasing exploration.

Felicia moaned and reached down, clutching at the white locks of hair. Corrin pressed her mouth into the soft fabric of Felicia’s underwear, eliciting a surprised gasp. She continued pushing Felicia’s uniform up, exposing her stomach and running her hands up through the fabric to Felicia’s heaving torso. She retracted herself from Felicia’s waist and, with great effort stalled by occasional hungry kisses, the two managed to free the maid from her uniform. Nearly naked, dressed only in her thigh-highs, underwear, and bow, Felicia pushed back against Corrin, flipping her over onto her back. Felicia mounted her and kissed her, driving her tongue deep into her mouth.

Corrin smiled at her and ran her hands along Felicia’s narrow body. Being a maid required her to be in tip-top condition, and Corrin appreciated the results, marveling at the toned muscles that her modest uniform usually covered.

She leaned upwards and kissed one of Felicia’s breasts, tugging at her bra with her hand before pressing her lips against the nipple and biting softly. Felicia gasped in a mixture of pain, pleasure, and surprise. She reached her hand down and cradled Corrin’s head to her breast, supporting her as she sucked the nipple, grazing it with fangs and tongue.

“M-milady,” Felicia panted as Corrin reached around her back and unclasped her bra, letting it slide down and giving Corrin easier access to Felicia’s breasts. She moved her hand to Felicia’s other breast, squeezing and massaging the nipple, eliciting more gasps. Felicia felt the wetness between her legs and an intense pressure coiling in her stomach. She gulped for air.

“M-milady, I-ah!” she stammered again, interrupted once more by Corrin’s roving fingers. “I-I w-want to make you f-feel…g-good,” she whispered, breathless into Corrin’s ear. With some degree of struggling, she pried the girl off her breasts and pushed her back down onto the bed roughly. Corrin struggled under her grip. She pinned Corrin’s arms down to the bed. Felicia kissed her deeply, thrusting her tongue between Corrin’s moist lips, before moving her hands down to Corrin’s clothing. She reflected on the advantages of being Corrin’s maid and thus knowing the quickest ways to dress and undress her charge. She began to frantically pull at the fabric, roughly but efficiently stripping Corrin’s torso.

Suddenly, Corrin froze, her body going rigid. With strength passing the limit of ‘playful roughness’, she shoved Felicia off her and scooted backwards. “G-get off of me!” she hissed sharply, her eyes wide with fear. “Don’t touch me!” She pushed Felicia again, this time knocking her off the bed, before wrapping her arms around herself, covering her bared chest with the fabric Felicia had so diligently removed.

“M-milady?” Felicia asked, deeply concerned. “A-are you-“

“I said don’t touch me!” Corrin was still trying to back away, curling up and almost trying to press herself back into the bed’s headboard. It was as if she were trying to make herself smaller.

Felicia stammered, unsure of what was happening, but certain she needed to do something about it. “Milady, I’m sorry, I-“

“G-get your clothes and go,” Corrin said, softly but firmly. Felicia stared at her, watched her chest heaving, covered in the folds of clothing clasped to her torso. She stared at the princess’ pale white shoulders, hunched and shuddering.

“I-I-I-“ Felicia faltered.

“I said get out!” Corrin shouted this time, squeezing her eyes shut. She was quivering, a tiny ball curled into the far corner of her bed.

Felicia quickly gathered her dress, which was crumpled up on the floor. She hastily pulled it over her head and shuffled towards the door, her heart pounding with fear. She stopped before exiting and turned to face Corrin. She suddenly seemed awfully small in the large bed.

“Milady, if there’s anything-“

“Just…go away…” Corrin said quietly. For a second, as Felicia closed the door behind her, she thought she heard a sniffle.

 

 

-

 

 

“It was so scary,” Felicia said, hanging the damp sheets over a clothesline. “I’ve never seen her so…so…”

“Scared?” Flora offered, pinning up a skirt. The wind blew through the castle courtyard, ruffling the laundry with cool morning air.

“I don’t know if scared is the right word…she seemed almost angry with me.”

“Did you do anything that might have upset her?”

Felicia paused, unsure if she should admit to her late-night tryst or the specifics of the encounter. As she thought, the wind blew again, wrapping the damp sheet around her.

“Oh – woah!” she stumbled to the ground, pulling the sheet and half the clothesline down with her with an awful crunching sound.

Flora sighed and rolled her eyes before helping untangle her sister from the now-dirtied sheet. She tugged the sheet off. “You really need to be more careful.”

Felicia sighed, giving up and laying her head on the cold ground. “I’m sorry…I just have a lot on my mind.”

Flora held out a hand. “Have you talked to her since?”

Felicia shook her head. “I hide whenever she’s near. I’m worried she’s going to yell at me again.”

“I would try talking with her,” Flora said. “Maybe she was just having a bad day, or perhaps you misinterpreted what she was doing and saying. You aren’t known for being the most…attentive.” She helped Felicia gather the scattered laundry.

“I guess so.”

“She has lessons with Gunter this morning, but I believe she’s free this afternoon. I was going to bring her lunch at one o’clock, if you’d like to take that job. I can do something else.”

Felicia nodded, grateful. “That’d be great. Why are you so keen to offer me help? I thought you didn’t like the idea of her and I.” She finished gathering up the laundry and sorted it into ‘still clean’ and ‘needs to be re-washed’ piles. “Now that I think of it, you haven’t bad-mouthed her recently either. Could you maybe be warming up to our little princess?” Felicia smiled.

Flora smiled sadly and shook her head. “Perhaps I was too quick to judge her. But if she makes you happy…who am I to stand in your way?”


	4. Chapter 4

Corrin sat on her bed, nose in a book, sipping tea. Outside it was raining. During the summer months it didn’t really warm up much – at least, it didn’t warm up enough to make a significant difference. The only real indicator of the change of seasons was the weather – sleet and hail in the fall, heavy snow in the winter, rain in the summer. Corrin turned to look out her window. The sky was dark, heavy rainclouds pouring their bounty out on the Northern Fortress, rain pooling and flowing down from the surrounding canyon walls in rivers and streams. The water reached the edge of the chasm the fortress made its home in and fell off, waterfalls pouring endlessly into the dark abyss. It was beautiful, in a somber way. Corrin smiled.

The summer also did something for the humidity. The room felt warm and stuffy, the air thick enough to taste. Corrin slid out of bed and tiptoed to the window. She leaned on the sill, arms crossed, face pressed up against the glass. A peal of thunder crackled in the distance.

The pattering of rain on the window felt calming. In the courtyard below, she could see a scrambled squad of maids try desperately to bring in laundry – once dry, now soaked. She saw Felicia and Flora there, both struggling to keep a sheet down and prevent the wind from carrying it off. She giggled.

She pressed a finger against the glass. The humid air had fogged the window up and a fine layer of condensation had formed. She traced the outline of a heart, through which she could see her two companions work.

 

-

 

Xander stood over her sternly, watching her work.

Corrin sheepishly looked up at him from her desk. She offered a weak, almost guilty smile.

“Leo tells me you haven’t been doing your homework.”

“I have!” Corrin protested. “Leo’s just mad because I obey the letter of the law, not the spirit!”

“Corrin, when he gives you problems to solve, he expects _actual_ solutions. Not your clever tricks and games. These aren’t logic puzzles, they’re equations.”

Corrin frowned at the splay of numbers and letters on the pages before her.

“I know,” she grumbled. “Math is just so boring.”

“It’s important to learn,” Xander said, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Even if it seems trite now, there will come a day where you will use these skills. Even your times tables.”

Corrin made a face. “When am I ever going to need to know…” she trailed off, flicking through her workbook. “All this stuff about percentages and statistics, and-“

Xander put a finger down in the book. “Look here. I used this exact type of math not even two days ago when father had me budgeting out supplies for the army. And here,” he said, pointing elsewhere. “This is important because you need to be able to know how statistics affect the outcome of situations. Is a fifty-two percent chance of success enough? What about forty? What is acceptable risk? It all comes down to mathematics.”

Corrin pouted.

“Now, Leo requested that I personally ensure you finish your homework for real, so I’m not leaving until you work through this chapter of your workbook,” Xander finished, flipping her book back to the page she was working on. “Understood?”

“Yes, sir…” Corrin grumbled, picking up her pencil.

The room was silent as she worked, the only sound the scratching of pencil on parchment and the occasional exasperated noise from Corrin as she encountered increasingly complex problems. Xander milled about the room absentmindedly as she worked. He examined the bookshelves, picked up trinkets and baubles adorning the dressers and shelves, and generally seemed to be very awkward.

Corrin put her pencil down loudly and turned. “You’re kind of weirding me out. Can you sit down or something?”

Xander nodded and sat on her bed, back straight, hands in his lap.

Weird, but acceptable, Corrin decided. _Why was he always so rigid? Even now, he isn’t relaxing._

“Do you want a book?” she offered. “Or I can have Felicia make you some tea? I drank all of the first pot she made.”

Xander shook his head. “To be honest, I’m enjoying having a moment to just sit and rest.” He rested his hands on the soft linens of the bed.

Corrin shrugged and returned to her work.

She flipped through the workbook some more. _Still three more pages? How long is this assignment?!_ She glared at the problems with grim determination.

“Corrin,” Xander said, somewhat questioningly.

“Yes, brother?” Corrin turned.

He was still sitting at the edge of the bed but was now leaning over, looking at something between his legs. He squinted and reached down between the two mattresses on the bed and grabbed something. He withdrew a necklace, sparking silver in the candlelight. “What is this?” He asked.

Corrin froze. _Oh no._

“Uhh…nothing!” she said quickly, trying to hide a blush. “It’s, um, a present from Felicia! She said she got it when they went to the market to the south, and-“

Xander set it on the bed but reached under the mattress again, this time withdrawing a gold bangle. “And this?”

“Uh…” Corrin faltered. “It’s…I found it on a walk, and-“

A third time Xander withdrew a bejeweled brooch.

“When we visited the noble castles, one of the women gave it to me!” Corrin said, her face a sheet of crimson. “It’s nothing! Please stop looking at my things!”

Xander frowned and stood up. He crouched next to the mattress and gripped it with his hands. Corrin winced and covered her face with her hands.

Xander lifted the mattress and revealed the treasure trove underneath. Trove may not be the best word. Hoard, more like. A pile of glittering metal and jewels spread out before him, previously hidden by the mattress and now on display for all the world. There were rings, and necklaces, and tiaras, and earrings. Pins, cufflinks, circlets, belt buckles. Coins of all shapes and sizes. Lumps of shining metal. Gems, both cut and raw. Xander stared, slack-jawed in amazement. “Corrin…”

Corrin sheepishly grinned. She shrugged, offering no explanation.

“Corrin, why do you have all this? Where did you get it?”

“I, uh…I sort of…collect it, I guess.” She distinctly recalled where she got some of the things. Swiped from countertops, plucked from jewelry boxes, picked up when dropped by visiting nobles. She even remembered with embarrassment that she definitely got much of her collection from helping clean up after dinner parties with nobles. Those rich folk sure do like to dress fancy, and they sure don’t mind losing an earring or two. Or three. Or a necklace. Or money.

Corrin gave an innocent smile. To be fair, she did find some of the things on walks around the fortress. And some were actually gifts as well, from Felicia, from Flora, from Camilla and Elise. Xander pulled a golden butterfly hairclip from the pile.

“This was a winter solstice gift I gave you.”

Corrin nodded.

“You really are going to have to explain yourself, you know.”

“I…uh…I don’t know,” Corrin said with actual embarrassment. “I can’t help myself.”

“What do you mean?”

“I see something shiny, and I just…want it, you know?”

Xander frowned. He shook his head.

“It’s like…a compulsion.”

“But why under your mattress? You seem to realize that it’s bad to collect these things, and you hide your collection, so…”

“I…um…” Corrin tugged nervously at her collar. “It’s nice to sleep on?”

Xander was taken aback by that answer. “What?”

Corrin waved her hands in front of her face, still blushing. “I don’t know!” she cried. “It’s a thing I do! I’m a teenage girl! Stop looking at me like that!”

Xander chuckled, putting back the hairclip he was holding. “Are you implying it’s the inherent nature of teenage girls to collect gold and jewels?”

“I don’t know…” Corrin sighed. “Maybe it’s puberty.”

“I think you’re a little old for it to be that,” Xander smiled. He returned the mattress to its proper place, hiding the hoard of gold. “I’m guessing Felicia knows about this?”

Corrin nodded. “She said it makes it hard to make the bed.”

Xander laughed. “I bet it does. And…this isn’t about money, right?”

Corrin frowned. “What do you mean?”

“These things are all worth an incredible amount of money. Thousands of gold, at least.”

Corrin gave him a look, as if the monetary value of her collection had just struck her.

“You…you do realize that gold is valuable, right?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“But you aren’t doing this for the money,” Xander finished.

“Sometimes, when Felicia or Flora want to buy something, I give them something of mine to trade,” Corrin admitted.

Xander nodded, deep in thought. “Would you like this to go to a good cause?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been bothering father about getting a new program funded. I won’t bore you with the details, but it’s for providing more food and clothing to the poor districts in the cities. Father said I could only allocate money to it if I find somewhere else in the budget to cut, which is why I’ve been doing so much math recently. But with a pile of gold like this…”

Corrin pursed her lips. “What would you need from me?”

“Well, it’s obvious you can’t keep your stash. These are stolen goods. You’d be welcome to keep the things that truly belong to you, but most of this needs to go. It’d be a nightmare to try and return these things to their original owners. Not to mention the embarrassment that a princess has been stealing the noblemen’s fineries.”

“So…”

“I propose that rather than have it go to waste, your little stash of gold goes to helping the needy. What do you think?”

“Yeah,” Corrin said, smiling. “Yeah, I like that. It’s kind of a pain to be worried about all the time anyway.”

“Oh, and Corrin?” Xander said. “If…perhaps…you manage to find some more gold here and there…I’m sure it could all be put to beneficial use. At least, more use than on a noblewoman’s neckline.”

Corrin smirked. “Big brother, are you telling me I should steal things?”

“Oh, no,” Xander said coyly. “Just that…many people in Nohr have far too much, while others have far too little. Perhaps some evening of the scales would be good for its people.”

Corrin nodded. “I think I read a book like this, once.”

 

-

 

Corrin and Felicia lay in bed, face to face, hands clasped tight together. Felicia squeezed her eyes shut and smiled. It was a cool fall day, and the wind rustled the windowpane. Outside the sky was grey and filled with swirls of orange leaves. Corrin’s breathing was steady and even, her eyes slowly drooping shut. The room smelled of cinnamon, the byproduct of a scented candle burning on the nightstand.

“I love you,” Corrin murmured, tugging Felicia’s arms around herself.

“And I you, milady,” Felicia said sleepily in return. She roused herself from her dozing enough to lean forward and kiss Corrin, her lips pressing deeply into Corrin’s. Felicia’s lips were dry and rough, chapped from working outside in the autumn air. Her hands, too, were rough and callused. Corrin pressed a finger into Felicia’s palm.

“I love your hands,” she said.

“I love your pointy ears,” Felicia responded, smiling. She stroked Corrin’s pointed ears and kissed one. She knew Corrin was self-conscious about her ears looking different, but she didn’t care. She did genuinely love them. “I love how they wiggle when you get excited about something.”

Corrin blushed. “I love your…cute little nose,” she decided, planting a kiss on Felicia’s nose. She pulled back, grinning her toothy grin.

Felicia smiled. “I love your little fangs,” she said, a cautious finger stroking Corrin’s sharp canines.

“I love your eyes,” Corrin smiled sweetly. “I could stare at them all day.”

Felicia blushed. “I…um…I love your lips.” She kissed Corrin again. Corrin’s lips, unlike hers, were soft and moist.

“Hm…” Corrin thought about it. “I love your back dimples,” she said at last, wrapping her arms around Felicia’s lower back. She stroked her, knowing it was a ticklish spot. Felicia giggled and squirmed in Corrin’s grip.

Felicia pondered the question. “I love…” she smiled coyly. “That spot on the inside of your thighs that you love when I kiss.”

Corrin blushed and stuck her tongue out. Felicia leapt at the opportunity, wrapping her lips around Corrin’s tongue and pressing their mouths together. They shifted in the bed, lips locked, arms entangled. Felicia at last withdrew. “Your turn,” she taunted.

“I…love…” Corrin drew out the sentence, trying to delay needing an answer. _Any_ answer wouldn’t do, of course. Even if it was the truth. In truth, Corrin would have said anything. Any part of Felicia, from her head to her toes, Corrin worshipped. She loved her truly and wholly, each feature, each flaw. Her twinkling blue eyes, her slim stomach, her sharp shoulder blades. Her hips, her jaw, her thighs, her feet. The way her hair looked in the mornings before it was styled, the way bathwater sparkled on her skin. Corrin felt her chest throbbing, full to bursting with this love.

But that wasn’t the game.

 “Your chest,” Corrin smirked, fingering the ruffles on Felicia’s collar, trailing her fingers down to her chest.

Felicia gave a satisfied hum as Corrin massaged her chest, her long, lithe fingers kneading the flesh. Corrin’s black-gloved hands made their way down Felicia’s torso, coming to a stop wrapped around her hips.

Felicia made a disappointed noise.

“Your turn,” Corrin whispered.

“I love…your…” Felicia trailed her own hands down Corrin’s body and slithered them up her skirt, each hand coming to rest on Corrin’s buttocks. She gave a smug sneer and squeezed, her nails digging into the delicate black fabric of Corrin’s underwear. She had taken to picking out Corrin’s underwear in the morning, secretly thrilled to know what Corrin was wearing underneath her armor. Corrin always obliged. Though Felicia admitted that it did sometimes spoil more intimate moments, because Corrin could always tell when Felicia was in the mood by the underwear she chose. Lacy panties, thongs, or Corrin’s personal favorite – anything sheer. Felicia selected bras, too. Though Corrin wouldn’t admit it, push-up bras did make her feel much sexier – and less self-conscious about how she measured up to her older sister.

“Say it,” Corrin whispered, her voice breathy and sultry.

“I…love…your…” Felicia blushed. _Doing_ things was one thing, but _saying_ was another. “Butt! I’m sorry!” she stammered, red-faced, immediately apologizing for her silliness. “I’m bad at saying things!”

Corrin giggled.

“I’m sorry I’m so bad at…being…like this…” Felicia mumbled, still embarrassed. “I ruined it, didn’t I?”

Corrin kissed Felicia and reached down, putting Felicia’s hands on her, making it incredibly obvious _exactly_ where she wanted her hands to go. “You’re silly,” Corrin whispered. “I love you so much.” She pressed her lips into Felicia’s again, this time adding a bit of tongue for good measure. She wrapped her own hands around Felicia’s body and pulled her tight.

 

-

 

Gunter leaned against the window, peering into the inky blackness of the night.

“What is it, sir?” asked Jakob, nervous at Gunter’s silence. Gunter shushed him.

He continued to stare out the window, looking down into the courtyard below. Shapes moved in the darkness, silent and quick.

“Sir,” Jakob repeated, more urgently, a tinge of nervousness in his voice. Gunter turned to him, a serious look on his face.

“Spies,” he said. His hand was on the hilt of his sword and he began to stalk out of the room. Despite his advanced age, he still managed to look incredibly intense. He slipped into the persona of a warrior like an old glove so quickly that Jakob found it startling. Kindly old Gunter, sword at the ready, stern, watchful eyes scanning the hallways as they descended the castle halls to the courtyard.

They emerged into the cool night air. Jakob hugged himself and blew into his hands for warmth. They could see their breaths. Where they should have seen castle guards, they instead saw the piles of armor and flesh where they once stood, now crumpled in pools of blood.

Gunter knelt at the body of one of the guards. He nodded, finding exactly what he expected. He withdrew a sharp metal shuriken from the guard’s neck.

“From Hoshido?” Jakob asked, shivering. It was too cold a night to be dealing with such a crisis. He should be inside, preparing tea. Making beds. Not this.

Gunter stood and drew his sword. “Go see to Lady Corrin,” he said, his voice severe. “I’ll rally the guards. Tell anyone you meet that we have intruders.”

Jakob nodded, still shivering.

“What are you waiting for?” Gunter shouted. “Go!”

Jakob turned and ran off, beginning the long ascent to Corrin’s bedroom. He passed a gaggle of maids here and there on his journey and offered frantic shouts of “Attack! Take shelter!” as he ran. He climbed staircase after staircase, cursing the construction of this accursed castle. Finally, he burst through the door to Corrin’s room, doubled over, breathless.

“Milady,” he gasped, coughing. “There’s been an attack!”

He looked up. Corrin sat in bed reading, her legs under the covers. Felicia sat next to her under the blankets, her own hands struggling to undo a tangle of knitting yarn. They both glanced up and gave Jakob a puzzled look.

“An attack!” Jakob repeated, stumbling into the room. “We need to get somewhere safe!”

“Attack?” Corrin asked calmly. “Why would anyone want to attack us here? We-“ her inquiry was cut off as Jakob grasped her wrist and pulled her from the bed.

“Ah! Jakob!” she protested. He immediately realized his mistake and turned away, covering his eyes.

“Milady, please put some pants on,” he requested, perhaps too politely for the situation. He coughed nervously and excused himself to the outside of the room.

He leaned against the door and sighed. It was probably nothing, he decided. An attack on the fortress, yes, but it’s not as if Hoshidans knew Corrin was here. And even if they did, they’d have no reason to specifically attack her. She wasn’t next in line for the throne, nor did she hold any real power. Yes, it must just be a scout of some sort. Jakob nodded, satisfied with his conclusion. He heard footsteps approaching down the hall and realized that he might possibly be wrong.

Flora bolted down the hall towards him, a dagger in each hand. Her normally pristine uniform was stain with splashes of blood, concentrated around her sleeve cuffs and her chest.

“Flora!” Jakob cried, startled. “What on earth-“

Flora skidded to a halt in front of him. “Lady Corrin!” she shouted. “Is she alright?!”

Jakob nodded. “Yes, of course. What is happening? Are you hurt?”

Flora shook her head. “I’m fine. This is from tending to some of the others.”

“What’s happening?” Jakob asked again. “Gunter said there’s some sort of attack?”

Flora nodded, wiping her mouth. She sheathed her weapons. “Hoshidan soldiers snuck in through the gate. They got a few guards before anyone noticed, but by the time we could get the soldiers together they had slipped away again.”

“Are they still here?” Jakob asked.

Flora nodded. “Somewhere. They’re like ghosts, sticking to the shadows.”

The bedroom door behind them opened. Corrin emerged, blearily blinking, Felicia in tow, their hands clasped together. “Wha…?” she asked, before spying Flora’s bloody uniform. “Flora!” she cried throwing her arms around the maid and practically tackling her to the ground.

“Oh my goodness! Tell me you aren’t hurt!” Corrin asked, taking Flora’s hands and examining her arms.

“I’m fine, milady,” Flora said. “It’s not my blood.”

The four of them stood together in the hallway, each unsure what to do.

“is it safer to stay here or try and find a place to hole up?” Felicia asked, fidgeting with her hems.

“If they are here for the princess, they would know she’s in this room,” Flora said. “I think we need to find somewhere safer.”

“The baths, perhaps?” Jakob offered. “There’s only one way in, and that door locks.”

“It’s at least safer than the halls,” Felicia agreed.

As they made their way to the baths, Corrin tightly held Felicia’s hand, squeezing it for comfort periodically. Each cry of pain that echoed through the fortress, each clash of metal on metal brought another squeeze, with renewed vigor. They passed guards tending to bleeding wounds and maids frantically ferrying medical supplies around. The castle was in an uproar, everyone scared by the ever-present threat. Knowing that intruders were there but not knowing where they would strike put everyone on edge.

Finally they reached the baths, slipping through the door and locking it behind them. They crossed through the changing room and entered the baths proper, collectively sighing.

It was probably not perfectly safe, but as good as they were going to get.

The night wore on. Outside they could hear the periodic sounds of fighting that would crop up then vanish into silence again. The silence was worse.

Corrin leaned against Felicia’s shoulder. Her eyes began to droop. It had been a long day, and on top of this…she lazily peered around the darkness of the baths. It was a stone room, the center of which held a large pool of spring-fed water. Pipes heated the water and brought out dirty bathwater. It was quiet, the only sound in the room an echoing _drip-drip-drip_. Corrin stared at a pipe, realizing that she didn’t know exactly how baths worked. She turned to Jakob.

“Jakob, do you know how this bath works?”

Jakob nodded and launched into a tirade about engineering and hydrodynamics. Corrin tried her best to pay attention but found herself drifting again. The bath had a window, too, because it wasn’t on the first floor and thus peeping toms weren’t a problem. She looked out at the stars twinkling in the cold night.

_Huh_. She noticed that there were areas of the sky with no stars at all, just the inky blackness. As she brought her eyes into focus, she realized that she was actually looking at the silhouette of a person crouched in the window. It dawned on her.

“The window!” she cried, a second too late. She turned and saw Flora had been already hit, a shuriken embedded in her shoulder. She clutched her wound wordlessly and, with great effort, pried the blade out. She stumbled and nearly collapsed, but Corrin caught her.

Corrin cradled her body as stared as the frantic scene unfolded.

Jakob was up and reacting even before Flora had been hit. He threw his own dagger, rewarded with a cry of pain when it hit the intruder. Felicia lunged forward and grabbed the spy, hauling them through the window and into the baths. She punched them.

“This is what you get for hurting my sister!” she cried, pinning the soldier down and kneeing them in the stomach.

A second figure appeared in the window, this time from the top, swinging into the room. Jakob attacked, engaging in a knife fight.

Corrin struggled to drag Flora away from the scene. The two girls stumbled into the changing room, separated from the baths proper by a thin door.

“I’m…fine,” Flora gasped. “Take care of…yourself!” she wriggled, trying to free herself from Corrin’s grip.

“Flora, you’re hurt!” Corrin protested, pinning her down. She realized that her assessment of Flora’s wounds was incorrect. It was disguised by her already-bloody uniform, but two other blades protruded from Flora’s body, one in her stomach and the other in her arm. Corrin let go, trembling.

Flora, teeth gritted with determination, pried the shuriken out of her body. She began to crawl towards the fight. She fought to climb to her feet. Limped once, twice, then fell again. Her blood began pooling on the floor.

Corrin grabbed her and pulled her back, embracing her tightly. She brought her face close to Flora’s, pressing their foreheads together.

“It’ll be okay, Flora,” Corrin said in what she hoped was a calm voice. “It’ll be okay.”

“No,” Flora protested. Corrin saw tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “I-I have to fight! I c-can’t be useless! I have to-“ she lurched, coughing and spitting blood. Corrin held her tight, not letting her go.

“No, let me go!” Flora roared, mustering her strength. “I need to do this!”

Corrin refused, pinning her to the floor of the baths. “You’re hurt, Flora. You can’t.”

“I can!” Flora cried, tears flowing now. “I can!” she feebly struggled against Corrin’s grip before collapsing. She lay on the ground, sobbing. Corrin held her, shushing her and stroking her hair.

“They can handle it,” Corrin said. “You know your sister can take care of herself. Jakob, too. You’re hurt and need to rest.” She lightly touched Flora’s wounds, trying to remember her rudimentary medical education. _Felicia always had that stuff…the foamy stuff that stung. What was that again?_

Flora moaned. The sounds of fighting echoing in the bath subsided. She could hear voices. Felicia and Jakob both stumbled into the changing room, evidently victorious but weary.

 

-

 

Flora lay in bed in the infirmary, swathed in bandages. She wasn’t alone – the infirmary had seen more use after the attack than it had in quite some time. Usually it was for minor wounds and accidents, but now it was filled with soldiers and maids alike. Flora closed her eyes.

Internally, she was berating herself, frustrated at her inability to fight and her lack of decisive action during the attack. She took calm, deep breaths. A hand touched her cheek and she opened her eyes to see Felicia standing over her.

Felicia threw her arms around Flora and squeezed her tightly, ignoring Flora’s protests.

“Ah!” Flora cried. “Ow! Okay, now it hurts!”

“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry!” Felicia said. “I was just so excited to see you!”

Flora grimaced and rubbed her shoulder. “Well, maybe a hello would have been better.”

“Oh, you’re right! I was being stupid,” Felicia offered a weak apology. “I’m sorry, Flora.”

“It’s okay. Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with Lady Corrin?”

“She’s training with Lord Leo in the library,” Felicia said glumly. “But Gunter wanted me to come get you. He requested I see if you’re feeling well enough to get back to work.”

Flora nodded. Her wounds were painful, true, but many here had fared far worse than her in the attack. “I think I’ll be okay.”

“Okay! We’ll get you all dressed then go meet with him. He said he had some special task for us out by the portcullis.”

 

 

-

 

 

Flora and Felicia stood together in front of Gunter, both giving a questioning look.

“A new maid, sir?” Flora asked. She could feel her bandages shifting and sliding under her dress.

Gunter nodded. “A new handmaiden to assist you in your duties with Lady Corrin. I’d like to introduce you both to Lilith.”

He brought forward a young girl with a long, thick braid of blue hair. Lilith curtsied politely. As she stood up from her bow, Felicia spied a mark on her forehead.

Lilith smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do the Fire Emblem dragons hoard gold? Is that ever addressed?
> 
> It's been forever since I've updated this but here's a new chapter! I have another one in the works and hope to have it out by the end of the week. As always, thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Corrin clutched her dragonstone tightly. The air around her was thick and overbearing, and in the dense forest she felt like she was struggling to breathe. In her other hand she held tight to her sword, which she used to chop away at vines that draped themselves over the trail.

She looked down at the ground, trying to ensure that her bare feet didn’t catch on any vines or thorns or sharp rocks. She inhaled a thick cloud of pollen and began hacking. The cough persisted and she leaned against a tree to support herself. She drew a flask of water from her pack and choked some down, finally gasping with relief as the coughing subsided. She took a moment to look around.

Which direction was it again?

She turned. On all sides, the Woods of the Forlorn lay dense and foreboding. She would have to climb through the trees and vines, since the path apparently disappeared into the underbrush. Which way was the path going, anyway?

She looked up at the sky nervously. High above her, the canopy of leaves barely let in any light at all. Her only real source of light was a small metal lantern she carried with her. The aura of light cast a circle of dark shadows that swirled and changed, forming menacing shapes in the undergrowth. She shivered.

If she did this, though, Father would be proud. He would love her, just as he loved her siblings. Her resolve strengthened, she again set off through the woods in the direction she was almost certain was correct.

She arrived at a clearing, a hazy bog-like area where pools of muck bubbled and sputtered. As good a spot as any, she dug through her pack and withdrew a map. It only had crude directions through the woods, but based on the size of the forest and her pace so far, she could expect to be out by…

She looked up. A groan had echoed through the clearing. She squinted into the darkness, looking for the source. Perhaps it was just her imagination. She turned her attention back to the map.

There it was again. She frowned. There was definitely something out there. She lifted her lantern into the air.

“Hello?”

The voice echoed, bouncing off the trees and dissipating in the distance.

“Hello?!” she called out again, louder this time. The groaning came again. Corrin stood and peered into the woods. Suddenly from behind the tree leapt out a large beast. It groaned and lurched towards her.

“Is that a faceless?!” she dropped her pack and planted her feet into a combat-ready position. More faceless crashed through the underbrush. “Dammit!” she looked around.

The faceless had surrounded her. She lunged towards the nearest one, slashing her blade across its torso and drawing a spray of black blood. It screamed and stumbled towards her, swinging its heavy fists. Corrin leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding getting slammed into the dirt.

She looked around, her eyes wild. There was no space to fight, and she couldn’t run away. A faceless stomped towards her, growling. She gripped her dragonstone tighter.

Suddenly, dagger sliced through the thick forest air and buried itself into the faceless’ mask. Corrin turned to see who it was. Another dagger sailed between the trees and hit the faceless, driving it back. Then another. The faceless scattered, wary of their unseen attacker.

A head of pink hair stumbled out of the forest, awkwardly trying and failing to not get caught on any roots.

“I did it!” the figure cried out, making her way towards Corrin. “Oh, thank goodness I arrived in time! Are you okay?”

“Felicia?!” Corrin stared, mouth agape. “I’m fine, b-but…what are you doing here?!”

“I’m sorry!” Felicia stammered, nearly tripping over a tree root. “I was just so worried about you. I had to make sure you were okay.”

Corrin nodded and took her arm, steadying her. “Thanks for your concern, but I was fine! Wasn’t it dangerous trying to follow me on your own?” The two began to make their way through the forest as Corrin hacked at vines and branches in their path with her sword. Felicia stayed close behind, one hand clasped in Corrin’s. Her fingers clutched tightly at Corrin’s, her skin soft and warm. Corrin smiled to herself, finding comfort in the familiar feeling.

“They say the spirits of the dead inhabit this forest,” Felicia whispered quietly, as if worried she might draw the spirits out just by speaking of them. “They search for fresh souls to take…that’s scary, isn’t it?”

Corrin nodded. “I think we have more realistic things to worry about here, Felicia.”

“There was no way I was going to let you face this place all by yourself!” Felicia continued, sounding a little more confident. “It’s not easy to do something behind King Garon’s back, but I somehow managed.”

“Did you tell Jakob and Flora?” Corrin asked, swinging her sword at a thick root in their path. After a few hacks, the path was clear.

Felicia shook her head. “I was going to tell Flora, but I couldn’t find her.”

Corrin paused to take a breather. She took a sip from her flask of water and offered it to Felicia, who declined. She gave Felicia a questioning look. “You couldn’t find her?”

Felicia shook her head. “After I lost you at the Bottomless Canyon, I returned to the castle to report what had happened. Flora started acting strangely…she got all quiet and didn’t want to spend time with me. She’s usually pretty solitary, but this was different.” Corrin sat on a felled tree and patted next to her, indicating that Felicia should sit.

“We…we were both so worried that you were…gone.” Felicia bowed her head solemnly. “I…I think Flora was really torn up about it.” She looked up at Corrin again. “She…she really did care for you a lot, milady. I know she didn’t show it, but…”

Corrin put a hand on Felicia’s shoulder. “I know.” She shifted her hand and wrapped her arm around Felicia, pulling her tight.

“Um…but she was acting strangely, like I said,” Felicia continued. “Then we heard news about the attack on Hoshido. That…that there was a horrible attack on the capital – townspeople slaughtered, the city in ruins, and the queen killed. King Garon said that it was you.” Felicia kicked at the ground absentmindedly. “Flora was so angry. She said some really horrible things about you…I don’t know if you noticed when you returned, but she avoided you entirely. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so mad in my life.”

Corrin nodded.

“Then Flora disappeared.” Felicia concluded. “Some of her things were missing from her room – some clothes, some personal items. She just…left.”

“Felicia, I’m glad you’re here,” Corrin said, offering another half-hug. “But I really think you need to get back to the castle. With Flora gone, won’t they notice your absence too?”

Felicia shook her head. “I’m sure they’re glad to not have me in the way.”

“Don’t say that,” Corrin chastised her. “You’re a hard worker and I’m sure they miss the extra set of hands. Besides, according to…that dragon that Father was talking to, I have to do this alone.”

“Oh!” Felicia cried out, suddenly. “Oh, I forgot that part! I am SO STUPID!” She frowned, obviously disappointed in herself. She punched her leg in frustration.

“Hey, don’t do that!” Corrin said, grabbing her arm. “It’s not a big deal!”

“You won’t be able to pass your test, and it’s all my fault!”

Corrin hugged her tightly. “My test was to subdue the rebellion by myself. I don’t think it’s cheating if we haven’t even made it there yet.” She kissed Felicia’s cheek.

“Oh, Corrin,” Felicia said gently, returning the hug. She pulled away partially, her face inches from Corrin’s. They each leaned forward, bringing their lips closer together.

A groan and a crash echoed through the underbrush.

The two pulled away, both immediately dropping their hands to their weapons.

“Uh-oh,” Corrin hissed. “It looks like we have more company. Do you mind lending a hand?”

Felicia smiled mischievously. “Of course not! That’s why I’m here, milady. I refuse to let you die in this horrible place!”

“Same here,” Corrin nodded. “Let’s do this.”

 

-

 

A flurry of snow whipped through the air between the two sisters. Felicia tightened her grip on her dagger.

“Felicia, my foolish sister. Did you really think this rebellion could be solved by a few petty words?”

Felicia nervously surveyed the field. She could hear grunts and clashing of steel in the distance, obscured and muffled by the snowstorm. Against Lady Corrin’s wishes, she had run ahead to try and talk some sense into her irrational sister.

“I’m no fool, Flora!” she cried out, anger welling up inside her. How could she do this?! After all they had been through together… “You’re the one who wants to fight without hearing us out! That in itself is a betrayal of the pride and morality our tribe holds dear!”

Flora laughed callously, unsheathing her own daggers. “You really don’t understand, do you? This goes beyond words.” She swallowed, her face contorting with disgust. “Don’t you realize, all our time in the castle was…I mean, it was…” her voice cracked but she recovered, readying herself into a fighting stance.

“What are you saying, sister?” Felicia pleaded, lowering her own weapon.

“There’s no point in telling you now, after all that’s happened,” Flora said sadly, a hint of pity in her voice. “If you’re too blind to see what’s been happening, that’s on you.”

“You swore to protect her!” Felicia shouted, hot tears steaming on her cheeks. “How can you do this?!”

“I never swore my allegiance,” Flora snapped. “I refused. We were little more than hostages, taken away as children…all to prevent this from happening, to stop the Ice Tribe from rebelling! I often thought of running away, but I never did. I stayed…because of you.” Though her face was locked in an angry glower, Felicia could see she was crying, too.

“Please, Flora! I don’t want to fight you!”

“Then don’t!” Flora shouted. “Join us! Put a stop to this madness!”

Felicia heard a cry and saw as Corrin stumbled out of the snowstorm, hand clutched to her side, blood streaming from her cracked armor.

“Milady!” she ran to Corrin’s side as she collapsed to her knees in the snow.

“I’m sorry, Corrin,” Flora said sternly. “Not for my actions, but for this unfortunate circumstance.  As your retainer, I know this is tantamount to treason. But my family…” she looked pointedly at Felicia. “My tribe…we cannot bow down to Nohrian rule.”

Corrin spat blood into the snow. “It’s over, Flora! You and your father are the only ones left! Please!” she pleaded, doubling over in pain. “End this…”

“Lady Corrin, let me help!” Felicia drew her stave and readied herself to heal Corrin’s wounds. As she lifted the staff, a flash of metal streaked through the snow, knocking it from her grip. Flora readied another dagger.

“I will end this,” Flora said, advancing across the icy ground. She lunged forward at Corrin, who looked up at her sadly. Felicia stepped between them, deftly deflecting her sister’s blow.

“Felicia, move!” Flora yelled. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will!”

Felicia planted her feet in the snow over Corrin. “You won’t touch her.”

“Flora,” Corrin said softly. “Please…just talk. Why are you doing this? Can’t you see we’re trying to achieve peace?”

“Peace?!” Flora laughed again, harshly. “Is that what you call it?” She lowered her weapons, satisfied with talking for now, it seemed. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been up to, _milady_.” The last word was dripping with venom. “I thought you were different. I thought that, like us, you were a prisoner, a victim of fate. That the angry, violent blood of Nohr didn’t flow through your veins.” She frowned. “I was wrong.”

“What are you talking about?” Felicia said, her voice quaking.

“I pitied you,” Flora said disdainfully. “I…I loved you. Like my own sister.” She spat on the ground in front of Corrin. “Now I see what a fool I was. You’re no different than the others. The cruelty inflicted on you throughout your childhood was undeserved, true, but it did little to prevent you from becoming another perpetrator of such cruelness.”

“Please, Flora,” Corrin pleaded. “Listen to me-“

“Listen? Listen?!” Flora laughed. “Did you let the Hoshidans in Shirasagi listen before you murdered them?”

“No, Flora, I-“

“Shut up!” Flora yelled. Again Corrin could see tears dripping from her chin. “Shut up!” she yelled again. “You’re just like them! A puppet for your father, an engine of destruction and death…you’re a killer, Corrin! You started this war, and you chose your side. Now die.” She lunged forward and shoved her sister backwards. Felicia stumbled on the slippery ice and collapsed in a heap.

Flora leapt over Corrin and plunged her daggers downwards. Corrin rolled, bringing her sword up to redirect the blows, which stabbed into the snow with a muffled _thud_. Even wounded, Corrin’s battle prowess was far beyond many normal fighters. She scrambled to her feet and held her sword out in front of her defensively.

With a clang of steel on steel, Flora attacked again, thrusting her daggers towards her liege. Time and again, Corrin beat back the blows, never returning the attacks. Taking advantage of her focus on Corrin, Felicia ran forward and tackled her, knocking her to the ground and pinning her against the snow. A halo of flame erupted around her, turning the ground to slush and prompting Felicia to hop to her feet and back away. Flora stood up and again charged Corrin, her daggers wreathed in fire magic.

Corrin weakly defended against blow after blow, refusing to strike back.

“Lady Corrin, you have to fight back!” Felicia shouted, sifting through the snow to find her healing stave. “You can’t stay on the defensive!”

Corrin deflected a thrust one second too late, and Flora drove a dagger into her left shoulder. Corrin cried out and let go of her sword with that hand. Wielding one-handed, she now moved even slower. The space between getting attacked and defending herself was growing, each move increasingly sluggish. “No!” Corrin shouted defiantly. “I refuse to hurt her!”

“You fool,” Flora snapped again, kicking outward. She drove a heel into Corrin’s stomach and sent her sprawling backwards into a snowdrift. Corrin lay on the cold ground, blood pooling around her, gasping. For all her complaints about training while wounded or tired, she was thankful that the ability to fight while disabled was drilled into her so thoroughly. She weakly gripped the hilt of her sword.

Flora drove her daggers down again, aiming for Corrin’s chest. Before she could leap forward, her body jerked suddenly. Corrin stared at her.

Flora staggered backwards before stumbling and falling. Corrin could see the hilt of a dagger protruding from her shoulder. Felicia stood behind her, one hand empty, breathing heavily.

“F-Felicia,” Corrin stuttered. “You-“

“She’ll be okay,” Felicia said, her voice uncertain. “It’s just a flesh wound. I think I startled her more than anything.” She rushed to her mistress’ side. “Let me heal your wounds.”

Corrin shook her head. “T-tend to your sister first. I’ll be o-okay…” she leaned her head against the snow, blinking slowly.

“Your wounds are more serious,” Felicia protested. “It’ll only take a minute. Hold still.”

“No, tend to Flora first…” Corrin’s voice trailed off as she drifted into unconsciousness.

 

-

 

Corrin pushed open the door to the inn that had been converted into a makeshift hospital. The battle with the Ice Tribe had been fierce, and now they had to tend to the many, many wounded. Corrin had managed to convince everyone that it was in the best interests of everyone – proving that Nohr did indeed care for those under its rule.

She made her way down the hall and turned into a dark room with a solitary bed. A figure lay on the bed, unmoving.

Corrin lit a lantern, filling the room with a soft orange glow. She carried a tray of food which she set on the bedside table.

Flora lay on her side, eyes open, staring at the wall.

“I brought you some dinner,” Corrin said brightly. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted so I just brought a little bit of everything.”

Flora said nothing and made no acknowledgement of Corrin’s presence.

“Um…the rebuilding of the town is going well. Only a few buildings got damaged in the fight, but Kilma says it should be done in the next few days.”

Flora again remained silent.

Corrin sighed. She stood over Flora’s bed and waved a hand in front of her eyes. “Hello? Anyone in there?”

She frowned, her prompts all going unanswered.

“Why didn’t you kill me?” Flora asked, emotionless.

Corrin stared at her, surprised. “I…I couldn’t.”

Still unmoving, Flora repeated herself. “Why not?”

“I love you, Flora. You know that,” Corrin said softly. “May I sit?”

Flora said nothing. Corrin sighed.

“Flora, you need to eat something. Felicia said you haven’t been eating or sleeping. You won’t heal if you keep this up.”

Flora rolled onto her back and sat up, looking up at Corrin. Her eyes were vacant and detached. “You…you don’t even realize what you’ve done to me, do you?”

“What are you talking about?”

Flora smiled sadly and shook her head. “When I sided with my tribe, I knew the conditions were victory or death. I failed.” She balled her fists into her lap. “I…I failed. I can’t stay here.”

“Go back to Jakob at the castle,” Corrin pleaded. “You can get some rest and-“

“You think I can go back to Nohr? Just like that?” Flora snapped. “I’ll be executed as a traitor. You know that as well as I do.”

“Stay with us, then.”

Flora shook her head but said nothing.

Corrin knelt next to the bed, bringing herself level with Flora. “Please,” she pleaded. “For your sister’s sake. For my sake.”

“I…I’m a failure as a servant and a retainer. I’m a failure as a daughter, and a failure as a member of the Ice Tribe. I…” her voice trailed off. She turned to face Corrin, her eyes suddenly dark and serious. “I wish you had killed me when you had the chance.”

“Flora!” Corrin gasped. “How can you say something like that?”

“I…I refuse to stay and fight for Nohr. I can’t join you. I have nowhere to go. You…you’ve condemned me to this hell!” she said, raising her voice. “Why couldn’t you just kill me and get it over with!”

Corrin stood up and put her arms around Flora, pulling her to her chest. “Don’t say that, Flora. Please.” She could see Flora was silently crying, tears rolling down her cheeks though she made no sound.

“I…I’m sorry, milady,” she said out of habit more than anything else. Her nails dug into her palms as she tightened her fists.

“Flora…” Corrin said tenderly, putting a hand on Flora’s cheek. Flora closed her eyes, allowing herself to savor the touch. With her life going to hell in a handbasket, she may as well indulge in what shameful pleasures she still had. She sniffled once, the only audible proof of her crying.

Corrin released her hold. “Can…can I sit?”

Flora nodded, wiping her cheek with one hand. She scooted over in bed and Corrin sat next to her, extending an arm around her.

“Ah!” she winced as Corrin’s hand brushed against her wounded shoulder.

“Oh, sorry!” Corrin apologized quickly. She shifted her hand down to Flora’s lower back and pulled her tight against her.

“I love you, Flora.”

Flora gave a dejected smile. “And I you, milady.”

“I’m sorry that…everything happened the way it did.”

Flora nodded. “Me too.” She turned to face Corrin. “You’ll take care of Felicia while I’m gone, right? Gods know that girl can’t take care of herself.”

“Yeah,” Corrin said. “Um…will you be back?”

“I…I don’t know,” Flora admitted. “I think I just need to work some things out.”

“Okay.” She wrapped herself more tightly around Flora. “Promise me you’ll stay strong. We need you.”

Flora smiled. “Of course, milady.” She returned the hug, her slim arms pulling Corrin tightly.

She let out a single sob before burying her face in Corrin’s shoulder. “I-I-I’m sorry, milady,” she mumbled.

“It’s okay,” Corrin said, stroking her head. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

“Lady Corrin,” Flora said quietly, almost inaudibly.

“Yes, Flora?”

Flora inhaled deeply, drawing in Corrin’s scent. “M-may…May I have a kiss?”

 

-

 

Corrin and Felicia stood together, hand in hand, before Kilma’s desk. His office, the space from which he ruled his tribe, was somewhere between a study and a throne room. He sat in an ornately carved wooden chair, a stern frown on his face. The room was lit with oil lamps. Outside, sleet blew against the window and frost crept up along the joints between the glass panels. Kilma pursed his lips.

He brushed back his gray hair and removed his metal facemask.

“My precious daughter, Felicia…what do you have to say for yourself?”

“I’m going with her,” Felicia said. “It is my duty as a retainer, and as a servant of the royal family. Where my master goes, I go.”

Kilma’s eyes flashed with anger, but he remained calm. “After all that they have done to us, you still choose to take their side?”

Felicia shook her head. “No, father. I take the side of my master. She also opposes the cruelty of Garon’s rule. I believe the best place for me to be is at her side.”

Kilma stood up suddenly, looming over the girls. “The best place for you to be is with your people!”

“I…I know that, father. But they have you, and Flora, and-“

“Pah! As if she could do anything to help us. She can barely defend herself, and has proven incompetent in defending our village.”

“Don’t say that!” Corrin said loudly, cutting off his criticism.

“What?” Kilma snarled, glaring at her. “What did you say?”

“Don’t you dare criticize her! Not after what she gave up to defend you!”

“A meaningless ploy that did nothing for our people!” Kilma growled. “Her actions meant nothing, in the end.”

“No! She did what she felt was right. She stood up against the oppression of your people, and she did it at _your_ request! She was willing to die for you! Can’t you see that?” Corrin cried out, anger seeping into her voice. “She gave up so much for you!”

“Who are you to say?!” Kilma took a step closer, fists balled. “You, who stole my daughters away from me. And now you deign to tell me what I may think of them?”

Felicia stepped between them. “Please!” she cried. “Stop fighting! It’s over!”

“I was under the impression the battle was over,” Kilma spat. “But did not dream that my daughter would dare run off with the very monster who did this to us.” He stepped closer, glowering at Felicia, his fierce eyes piercing her. “Do not think that I am blind, dearest Felicia. I see the way you look at her.”

Felicia tried her best to look confident, meeting her father’s gaze with only slight trembling.

“You disgust me.” He frowned, disappointment more than anger on his face.

Corrin clenched her teeth and glared. She squeezed Felicia’s hand, her nails digging into the flesh accidentally.

“I had a husband all picked out for you, you know. A fine boy, who would have made a fine chief one day. But I see you have no interest in such things.”

Corrin stepped forward. Felicia tried to pull her back. They made eye contact and Corrin mouthed something to her silently. She nodded and assented.

“Sir, I am going to be forward with you. For the sake of your people and yourself. I came here as a show of good will, to promise that the Ice Tribe will from now on be treated fairly and justly. I can personally guarantee that I will do everything in my power to ensure that. I…I also came to ask you…” she gulped and took a breath. “I…have come to ask your blessing, as Felicia and I intend to marry.”

Kilma stared, his eyes burning like hot coals. “You abhor me. Words cannot describe my repugnance. You will get no blessing from me. Not now, nor ever. Get out of my sight.” He waved his hand.

Corrin turned to leave and as she walked by Felicia could see tears in her eyes. The door shut behind her and Felicia stood alone, staring at her father.

“Father-“

“You are no daughter of mine.”

Felicia steeled herself. “I will marry her, father. With or without your blessing.”

“Then without,” Kilma said with a heavy finality.

 

-

 

Felicia stared at Corrin’s bare back in the darkness, the light strips of faded scars visible in the moonlight streaming through the treehouse window. They lay in bed, sheets wrapped around their legs, Corrin snoring softly into her pillow. Felicia reached out a cautious hand, a single slender finger tracing down the ripples of the girl’s spine, the finger stroking the rough texture of the scar tissue. Corrin snorted and twitched in her sleep, prompting Felicia to withdraw her hand.

In the soft darkness, the two lay together.

Corrin curled up into the fetal position, a tight ball wreathed in mussed white hair. Felicia leaned her face forward and planted her lips on Corrin’s spine. Even now, in the small hours of the night, she felt herself drawn towards her mistress – no, her lover. As Corrin had reminded her time and time again, they were not master and servant anymore; they were equals. Though she still served the royal family, it was to aid in the war effort, same as everyone else. She still took solace in her daily tasks – amongst all the violence and bloodshed, there was comfort to be found in her routine. Washing dishes, folding laundry, dusting and sweeping, tending to the campgrounds…she sighed. It seemed as if more and more these days she found her time occupied by caring for the wounded and dying. Corrin snorted again, rolling onto her back.

Felicia curled up tight against her, resting her head against her shoulder, draping an arm across her bare stomach. She pressed them together, her cold skin welcoming Corrin’s warmth. She smiled, listening to Corrin mumble in her sleep. In the silence, she could hear the gentle pulsing thumps of Corrin’s heartbeat. She rested her head on Corrin’s chest and allowed the sound to lull her to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, I said I had another update and then I ended up moving halfway across the country so...it's a little bit late. 
> 
> It's also finished! Which means I am one step closer to finally finishing the bigger fics I have been working on for way too long. Hope you enjoyed reading!


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